I'm still Breathing
by Emmalicious
Summary: 16. 16 is how old Rachel is. 16 is how many years she and her older sister, Rey, have been abandoned by their parents on Jakuu, a planet where people value water more than life. 16 is when she meets Finn. 16 is when she and Rey fly away. 16, is when her life begins. (POSSIBLE REWRITE)
1. BB-8

"Rache, come on wake up." I heard a voice say.

I sat up for my eyes to make out my surroundings. I was still at my home, if you could even call it that. It was just an old, abandoned ship of some kind. Rae old me when I was younger it was an AT-AT, whatever that is.

"Go away, I want to sleep." I lied back down and closed my eyes.

That`s me, Rachel. I was never really a morning person as you can see. I have long, hair; a lot of people use to say it was raven black. I don`t know what that is, but how people described it, it sounds like some kind of animal. My eyes are browner than chocolate; well, that`s what my sister says.

"I won`t get you anything for your birthday then."

That`s my older sister Rae. But I guess you can just call her my mother since she acts like one all the time. I was just a baby when it happened, our parents dropped us here, Jakuu, and never came back. Rae was only four when it happened, so she didn't exactly have a lot of time to play since she had to take care of me and herself.

"Yeah I stopped falling for that when I was eleven."

"I mean it,"

"Ok, I`m still sleeping, so I guess this will be my present."

She paused and sighed "You can help me scavenge the old vessel we saw on Sandy." That was a large hill that I called Sandy for fun.

I sat right up "You mean it?!"

She smiled and nodded.

I got right out of bed and put my clothes on while Rae readied the speeder.

"Come on Rachel!" I heard her.

"I`m coming!" I shouted back at her.

I left my room and ran out to the speeder.

"Can I drive?" I asked eagerly.

"No, you don`t know how."

"Do to."

"When you`re older."

"That`s what you told me when I was eight, now I`m sixteen."

"Alright, when you`re eighteen."

I rolled my eyes and walked to the speeder and tried to pull myself up. I may be sixteen, but I`m not really tall.

She chuckled "Need any help?"

"I`m not a kid, I can get up."

She walked to me and helped me up; she then got on behind me and we sat off for Sandy.

 _10 minutes later_

We made it to Sandy and both got off.

We both walked to Sandy. I was about to climb but Rae dragged me down and handed me a small shovel.

"Start digging." She said.

"Lier," I thought.

She _always_ made me dig even though she knew it would rarely ever happen I would at least find a small piece of droid or anything else.

"I should have known." I said.

"I thought you would."

"Oh come on Rae, I can go with you! I can do it you know, we`d find more."

"I`m not taking a chance." She said taking out her goggles, canteen, and satchel from the speeder.

I went over to her and took out my knife and the other canteen.

"You can`t have me digging out here forever."

"I know,"

"Then let`s go."

"When you`re-."

"Older; I know, I know." I said whining a bit.

"No, I was going to say when you`re ready, and older."

I tried not to show my smile.

She looked down for a second "Ok fine, next time you can come with me."

I shrugged "Ok,"

She put a hand on my shoulder "Thanks, Rache."

"Anytime Rae Rae."

"Don`t call me that anymore please,"

"Ok, I guess I`ll call you princess?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes and climbed Sandy as I was digging.

 _Hours Later_

So far I, unbelievably, found a few things. Rocks, more rocks, a small floodlight, something that looked like a small pendant, and surprisingly a droid head!

I was tired after digging and decided to braid a little bit of my hair.

I looked on top of Sandy and saw Rae taking a drink from her canteen. I could tell hers was empty while I drank half of mine.

She took a piece of the debris and slid down.

She came to me as I got up and both put our discoveries in the sack.

I got up on my own this time and waited for her.

 _Sometime later_

We made it back to town and unlatched the sack, which fell down.

The both of us haul the sack to town.

We both went to a small tent and cleaned off our day`s salvage. This was about the only place in town to go since it`s the only tent that uses clean water for washing. I soaked the droid and ship parts first and tried my best to make them look more then they were worth. I then cleaned off the pendent I found. When I cleaned it up, there was a dark blue gem in the middle!

In my glee, I looked up to tell Rae that we struck rich, when I saw a little girl maybe ten at the most, cleaning off multiple droid and ship parts; her hands were red with soreness. I stared at her while she worked hard, not knowing that I was looking at her.

I heard something shout gibberish in my ear; I think they were telling me to hurry up and not look at the little girl.

Rae shouted something at him in my defense. He spat at the ground and stormed away.

"Thanks," I told her.

"You shouldn't be wasting time; everyone needs a turn cleaning something."

I nodded.

X LINE BREAK X

We headed over to Unkar Plutt, a shopkeeper who we didn't really like, but Rae said we owe him since she said he taught her to take care of herself.

"What you both brought me today are worth, hmm, two and a half quarter portions."

"But the gem in the middle-." I began to protest.

"-is fake. I gave you another portion because of the parts, not the necklace."

"But-,"

"Rachel," Rae said. I backed down.

"Thank you," She told him. Of course he didn't say anything and just slapped the food on the counter. We took them and went back outside to the speeder.

 _Minutes later_

We made it back to home and went inside.

The first thing Rae did was scratch another line in the wall; another mark, another day, she used to say. While I went back to sewing another doll, we had one that looked like an old rebel fighter I made when I was about ten maybe, but we decide to keep that one and sell the others I made.

Before I could sew another thread, Rae called me into the kitchen and help make dinner.

I headed in the kitchen and opened the powder, moved it to the makeshift Wok, where the green meat sizzles; as Rae pours the powders into milky water in a tin and stirs it. As she puts the meat on an old plate, they both grow into loaves. We both take one and went outside.

We sit down and eat like starving children. Every last drop, Rae licked her plate clean. The half portion Unkar gave was just a single tatoe. Of course since I was younger, Rae gave it to me. I looked at her as she looked out at the horizon. I took the tatoe off my plate and gave it to her. She pushed my hand gently and shook her head. I beckoned her to. She gave up, took it, and smiled at me before she ate it. She picks up an old, broken Rebellion helmet we used to play with and gave it to me. I put it on and looked through the glass, everything was grey.

I and Rae then suddenly hear a squeal that sounded like it came from a droid! I took off the helmet and started to get up to check it out, but Rae stopped me and went with her staff to find the noise.

I decided to follow her as I took my knife out and climbed over the dune.

When I got to the top, I saw a droid caught in a net by Teedo! The droid struggled to free himself while making short but loud beeps to Teedo to let him go.

"Tal'ama parqual!" Rae shouted at him.

Teedo and the droid stared at her. But soon enough, Teedo ignored her and again tried to move the droid.

Rae was furious and ran down the hill, I followed.

"Parqual zatana!" She shouted.

Teedo shouted something at her, threatening her likely. I could only make out a little of what he was saying since I wasn't really good at speaking other languages.

Rae took my knife from me and started cutting the ropes of the net to free the droid. This obviously made Teedo furious; he took a metal rod from his bag he carried and aimed at Rae.

"Noma!" I shouted the only word I knew how to pronounce.

He puts away the rod when Rae looked up then yelled at me; I knew what he said, I won`t say it but you probably have an idea what he shouted at me.

The droid spurted beeps at Teedo leaving.

Rae and I shushed him. He quieted, and then asked something.

"That`s just Teedo, he wanted you for parts. He has no respect for no one." Rae told him.

"Your antenna`s bent." She told him as she kneeled down, took it off, and straightened it.

"Where do you come from?" Rae asked.

He responded.

"Classified, really? Us too, big secret." Rae said.

When she was done, she got up pointed to the horizon.

"Niima Outpost is that way, stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north, you'll drown in the sand."

She started walking off back to home as I stayed next to the droid, but he began to follow her.

She turned around "Don`t follow me, town is _that_ way." She pointed towards town.

He beeped a question.

"No!" She said, still walking away.

"Can we keep him, please?" I asked a bit eagerly.

"No!" She said again.

"Oh come on, he can help us scavenge!" I said.

"You said that about a ball of yarn once, Rachel."

"Well, I mean it this time; besides, I was like six when I said that.

"Nine." She said.

"Please Rae, I didn't even get that monkey thing when I was younger."

"You tried to steal it from the Hutts and they nearly made you a slave for it."

"Ok maybe, but come on trust me!"

"No, now come on!"

I rolled my eyes and followed her.

But, we heard a small beep coming from the droid. Rae turned around and took slight pity on him. Though she didn't like him, she gestured for him to follow her.

"Come on," I said cheerfully.

He followed as I ran to catch up with Rae.

"In the morning you go," Rae said sternly.

He beeped thanks.

"You`re welcome."

X LINE BREAK X

"Alright, time for bed." Rae told me.

I got into my bed and pulled the covers over me.

"Tell me a story," I begged.

She chuckled "I haven't told you one in three years."

"Well, I feel like one."

She sighed "Alright, which one?"

"How there`s an R and a L on the wall." I stared at the letters on the wall on her side.

"It`s not really a story but ok."

I listened.

"Alright, I had a small crush on a boy that came here when you were just a baby."

"Oooooo, what was his name?" I asked.

She stared off into space, it looked like she was trying to remember.

"Leo," She said.

I smiled.

"So, I decided to just put the first letter of our names on the wall. The End."

"That`s it?"

"What, you want me to tell you I went on an adventure for true love? Want a different story?" She teased.

I giggled "No, I`m too tired."

"Alright, well goodnight." She said and turned off the light.

 **Hi everyone! So, I decided to do** _ **The Force Awakens**_ **next, while possibly doing** _ **Try Me**_ **at the same time. I hoped I didn't make Rachel to similar to Rae and Cerise, and that the intro was too long, I feel like it was. Anyway, I`ll probably update on weekends as usual; but be prepared at the end of May since I`ll be out of school! Woohoo!**


	2. The Man wearing his Masters Jacket

**Oh my gosh, I can`t believe I already have three favorites! Thank you so much HarmonyGirl567, Lady-BadWolf, and amichalap. That`s all I wanted to say for now, once again thank you, you two. And I`m sorry I kind of left you guys in the dark, it`s just that I`ll have finals soon, and I was just finishing up the play I was in. And I just watched** _ **To Kill a Mockingbird**_ **; it was one of the best movies ever! And I was thinking of making a fanfiction about it, I added it in my poll, I`ll only tell you that her name is Eloise.**

"Don't give up. He still might show up. Whoever it is you're waiting for." I told the droid, who I later figured out was BB-8 when Rey told me when we went scavenging.

He told us that his owner was attacked and taken by multiple men in white and a tall leader completely covered in black.

We scavenged the rest of the vessel on Sandy; oh wait, I mean _Rey_ scavenged it while I was digging, again.

Well, at least I was right about BB-8 helping me find parts, he found more than me, which I found nothing and he found a small part to a compressor.

"You`ll find him eventually, I know all about waiting, both of us do." Rey said.

On no, here we go.

BB-8 beeped a question to Rey.

"For our family, they`ll come back."

"Rey," I said.

"No Rachel, don`t give up hope; they`ll come back, one day or another. Who knows, they could come back today or tomorrow."

"Rey, we`ve been here for years. If they didn't come back then, they`ll never come back now."

I could tell she probably tried not to cry, but instead rolled her eyes and said "Come on"

We were on town; we went back to the tent to wash the few parts we found. I saw the little girl again, but this time she was crying as I saw a few marks on her face that weren't there before. I just stared down, I didn't want anyone else getting hurt or shouted at because of me.

After we finished, we walked to Unkar`s store and gave him our salvages.

"These six pieces you brought today are worth, let me see here….. one half portion."

"But last week they were half a portion each." I protested.

Before Rey could scold me, Unkar looked straight at me and leaned forward.

"What about the droid?" He asked.

Rey and I looked down at BB-8.

"What about him?" Rey asked before I could.

"I`ll pay for him." He said and bent down to get something.

I grabbed her hand and urged her to leave with me, but she stayed put.

"Sixty portions." He slapped multiple packets on the counter, making a few of the customers behind us astonished.

I couldn't tell if I changed my mind that day. I was starving, I`ve never seen that much food meant for us; but, I didn't want to sell him, I never understood what he ever said to me when I was trying to find parts, but I still enjoyed company with someone besides Rey, and what if his friend came back only to find out two kids sold him for food that probably would have only lasted for two weeks. But, I left Rey up to the decision.

She gathered the food in her arms looking like she was going to take it, but then she looked down at BB-8 and saw him freaking out a little. She looked back up at him.

"Actually, the droid`s not for sale."

I smiled as she picked up the portion that we had to share, but I didn't care.

"Come on," I said to BB-8 as all three of us left.

When we were out, I looked up at her.

"I knew you wouldn't sell him," I said with a smile.

She smiled and looked down at me "Sure you did,"

"I did!"

We both laughed.

 _An Hour Later_

The three of us looked around town if anyone needed help so we could maybe make extra money to buy some more food. When we were done, we made four dollars total. **(Sorry if that`s not the right currency)**

We were about to buy more meat when a man I kinda recognized came up to us and started talking to Rey. I wasn't listening when I heard a voice call for me on the other side of the market.

I strayed away to see what he wanted. But I decided I didn't trust BB-8 all on his own, so I made a 'come with me' motion.

He started following me, as I felt a rough hand grab my arm and heard BB-8 screeching!

I turned around to see a hideous man that looked a little bit like the one that Rey was talking to, and BB-8 caught in a net!

"Hey!" I shouted as I kicked the man holding my arm in the knees, making him fall down.

This alerted Rey as she turned around and kicked him down as he was trying to get back up.

The guy behind her picked her up by her chest!

"Put her down!" I shouted and got my knife out; but when I looked up, she bit him on his arm, making him drop her.

I held my knife up to stab him, but felt something grab my arms from behind me and threw me into a bunch of old vases!

I screamed in pain as I felt a few of the broken shards pierce my skin.

"B*stard!" I could barely hear Rey shout to them.

I then saw one of them slap her across the face harder than I`ve ever seen!

This made me get up; most of the world was spinning as I held my knife up high, and stabbed him in the shoulder!

He screamed in pain as Rey kicked him down, while the other one behind her forcefully pulled her hair down, making her fall to the ground. He got on top her and pulled out a small dagger and tried to stab her! I ran into him, knocking him down and began punching him.

The one I stabbed in the shoulder pushed me off of him and landed a kick on me while I was down.

He turned to Rey as they were gaining up on her! I pulled myself up little by little; but when I halfway got to my legs, Rey hit one in the head with her rod as the other one tried picking her up again. She kicked the one in front of her down, and escaped from the other`s clutches and hit him repeatedly in the head with her rod. They both fell onto the sand, hard.

She helped me up and hugged me; she didn't let go until we heard BB-8 beeping rapidly.

I went to his height and asked him what was wrong.

He turned his head to a relatively tall, dark-skinned man wearing all black except a jacket that was light brown.

"Him?" I asked.

Rey glared at him since she knew what BB-8 was talking about. I pretended I could understand him and got up and also glared at him to intimidate him.

He was slowly backing away when Rey suddenly started charging towards him!

Instinctively, he ran away from her.

She stopped for a moment, turned around, and pointed to my left.

"Go that way, follow him!" She shouted.

I nodded and ran as fast as I could with BB-8 quickly following.

I caught up to him as he turned the first corner. I ran to where he would turn again and stood right in front of him.

"Hello," I said innocently as he looked down at me and then punched him square on the nose, making him fall down!

Rey caught up to me before he could get back up.

"What`s your hurry, thief?" She asked.

"Thief?! What?!" He asked.

BB-8 rolls up to him and pulled out some type of shocking machine and shocks him in the leg!

"Ow! Hey!"

"The jacket! The droid said you stole it!" She shouted at him.

"I've had a pretty messed up day, alright?! So I'd appreciate it if you stop accusing me."

We weren't getting anything out of him, so I kicked him in the leg.

"OW! Jeez, you hit hard for a nine year old." He said.

I kicked him again.

"Ow!"

"I am _six-_ teen!" I said annoyed.

"Eight, five, fourteen, I don`t care!"

I raised my leg up again, but Rey put an arm in front of me to stop.

"Where`d you get it? It belongs to his master." She continued.

He looked up at her, then me, then BB-8, dumfounded.

"It belonged to Poe Dameron, that was his name right?"

Rey and I looked at each other, then looked down at him, wanting to hear more.

"He was captured... by the First Order. I helped him escape but our ship crashed."

He seemed hesitant, "Poe didn't make it."

BB-8 rolled off, being sad.

Rey and I watched him until he stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky, I guessed his master was one of those fliers we see come and go.

"So you`re with the Resistance?" I asked, I`ve often heard of them, but only knew what they were fighting for.

"Obviously. Yes. I am. I'm with the Resistance, yeah." He lowers his voice "I`m with the Resistance."

She looks up and down at him.

"I`ve never met a Resistance fighter for." She shyly smiles at him.

"Well, this is what we look like, some of us. Others look different." He said.

I felt something was up; nobody really talked to anyone like that anyone on Jakku. W-was he flirting with her?!

"BB-8 says he's on a secret mission, he has to get back to your base." Rey continued as we both turned around to check on BB-8 again.

"Apparently he's carrying a map that leads to Luke and Cerise Skywalker, and everyone's after it." He said.

"Luke and Cerise Skywalker?!" She whispered and as we both turned around, amazed.

"I thought they were myths!" I whispered to him.

We then both heard BB-8 beep madly.

All three of us turned to him as I rushed to him "What is it?" I asked.

I soon darted my head up and saw the men that attacked us talking to a few troopers in white; they pointed right at us!

"What are you doing?!" I heard my sister ask next to me.

"Come on!" the man shouts as he runs away holding Rey`s hand.

I ran after them with BB-8 quickly following. Suddenly, we heard a few fires from the guns they were carrying, hitting a bunch of the tents around us!

Rey and I screamed as we kept running.

"Come on, BB-8!" I heard him shout.

"Let go of me!" Rey shouted at him.

"No, we gotta move!"

"I know how to run without you holding my hand!" She shouted as she pulled her hand out of his grip.

I looked above a tent and saw one throw something that looked like a bomb of some sort!

"Look out!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and dove into a tent as they followed.

"They`re shooting at both of us." Rey stopped and said realizing it.

"Yeah, they saw me with you; you`re both marked!"

"Well thanks for that!" I shouted at him.

"I'm not the one who chased you down with a stick, and had a kid punch me right in the nose! Does anyone have blasters around here?!" He said as he looked around.

I rolled my eyes, Rey and I went down to BB-8`s height.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

Finn shushed both of us.

He walked next to Rey and looked up at the ceiling, listening.

He gabbed Rey`s hand again.

"Stop taking her hand!" I said as Rey said at the same time of me "Stop taking my hand!"

The man pulls Rey from the tent as BB-8 and I follow.

As we race from the tent a Tie Fighter flies above the other tents; we saw another one. It fired at us! A massive blast sends the three of us flying!

Rey and I were thrown hard to the ground. I looked next to her; she could tell on my face I was horrified. She puts a gentle hand on my shoulder for only a second, when I looked over her shoulder and saw the guy unconscious! I scramble to him, and roll him over. Rey followed behind me and sat down next to me as BB-8 rolled over to us and beeped in concern.

"Hey, wake up!" I shouted in his hear.

"Are you ok?!" He mostly asked Rey.

"Yeah," She simply responded, noticing that it was directed at her.

She extended her hand to him "Follow me," He took it as he got up.

We ran as I saw locals running away and panicking. All three of us, including BB-8, sprinted as the gun shots were getting closer and closer!

"We can`t outrun them!" He shouted.

Rey pointed to a parked, four-engine ship ahead of us.

"We might in that quad-jumper!" She shouted to us.

"We need a pilot!" He shouted.

"We`ve got one!"

"You?!"

He pointed to a ship that could never work again.

"What about that one?"

"That one`s garbage!" I shouted.

We run for the Jumper but the passing Tie Fighter fired, blowing it to smithereens! The four of us come to a stop and stared at what fate had done.

"The garbage will do!" I said and ran to the piece of junk as Rey came right on my tail and the man and BB-8 followed.

I looked behind me and saw the Tie Fighters banking around us again as we ran up the ramp and went into the ship.

"Gunner position`s down there!" She pointed.

"Any of you ever fly this thing?!" He asked.

We went to the cockpit as Rey tossed her staff aside and sat in the pilot`s chair and I in the co-pilot.

"No, this thing hasn't flown in years!" I shouted back.

We both buckled ourselves in as Rey pushed a few buttons and flicked switches in front of her.

"I can do this, I can do this." She kept telling herself.

Soon, it rose off the ground! It spun a tilted a little and even crashed into an archway!

"Oh my gosh, it`s flying! It`s flying Rey! We`re flying!" I said, maybe a bit too excited.

"Thank you Rachel I already know that." She said and pushed more buttons, avoiding eye contact because of the distress.

I looked out the windows as we blasted away, but then looked in the corner and saw two Tie Fighters following, fast!

 **Wow, I think that was the longest chapter I`ve ever written! It was ok, but after reading a bunch of other fics, I kinda feel my writings are a bit amateurish. But never the less, I still want to thank the people for favoring just after one chapter!** **I just watched** _ **To Kill a Mockingbird**_ **; it was one of the best movies ever! And I was thinking of making a fanfiction about it, I added it in my poll, I`ll only tell you that her name is Eloise, and she has a close relationship with Jem and Scout.**


	3. Escaping Jakuu and Finn

Rey pilots and heads for the sky, soon we both heard the man at the guns shout something frantically.

"What?!" Rey and I shouted.

"Stay low! It confuses they`re tracking!"

For a crazy instant Rey let's go of the yoke, and turns to me and shouts

"Put the shields up!"

"Ok! Which one is it?" I asked while she was still driving.

"That one!" She pointed to a bunch of buttons.

"This one?" I held my finger over a small red one.

"No,"

"This?" I pointed to a giant blue one.

"No."

I held it over another button.

"No!" another button.

"The one I`m pointing to!"

"I know!"

"Rachel, we`ll die of your cluelessness unless you get it to-!"

I ignored here and just pushed a white button and hoped for the best.

She looked out the window, stunned and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You did it," She simply said as she continued to fly.

She goes back to the main controls and lingers her hand over a switch.

"BB-8, hold on! I`m going low!" She shouted.

I looks back for a flash as the Tie Fighters pass; we`re soon rocked by a blast!

"What are you doing back there?! Are you ever going to fire back?!" I shouted at him.

"I`m working on it!"

I could feel the man try to fire back at the Tie Fighters; he missed as they fire back!

The three of us felt the ship rock violently again. "We need cover, quick!" He shouted at us.

"We`re about to get some!" I shouted stupidly to him. "Right?" I asked Rey.

We speed through a rock formation and grazed it, taking a small chunk off of it. I felt the pilots in the Tie Fighters firing at us again!

The Falcon banks hard, the edge of the ship rips a line in the line as it turns, revealing the ship graveyard.

Rey maneuvers the ship further into the graveyard.

I looked out the window and saw him hit a Tie fighter!

"Nice shot!" I shouted while Rey concentrated on getting us out of there.

The Falcon, pursued by the one remaining Tie Fighter, slaloms through the massive wreckage, grazing the old ship as she goes, pieces flying.

The Tie Fighter fired, hitting the ship`s lower turret, spinning, jamming it!

The alarms blare- "The cannon's stuck in forward position, I can't move it! You gotta lose 'em!" The man shouted.

I looked over at Rey as the ship wit hit again, she was afraid. I could tell that her mind raced as her eyes panned up and down to the controls and window. She gets an idea.

"Get ready!" She shouted to me and the man.

"Ok!" I heard him shout "for what?!"

Rey pilots the ship up and into the rear end of the crashed star destroyer! The final Tie Fighter follows!

"Are we really doing this?!" I heard him shout!

We both ignored him.

The two ships slalom debris inside the giant ship, the ship grazing one side, then the other, spitting sparks!

I could feel that Rey was scared again, I was too since we were running out of space in the large, but cramped star destroyer.

"Oh no," She said.

Just as the Tie Pilot gets a lock, she pulls the yoke.

The Falcon makes a hard right turn out of the Destroyer. Rey then cuts the power and flips the ship! Soon I felt the man FIRE, and destroys the Fighter! Rey guns the engines again, flips the ship, and flies away as the Tie Fighter crashes!

"WHOO!" I heard him shout as I had the biggest smile on my face.

We roar off, victorious, and left that hellish planet I`ve hated but grew up on for my whole life.

Rey and I unbuckle excitedly and rush to the back to talk to the man and BB-8.

Rey raced past BB-8 and talked to the guy we found.

They both complemented each other as they could barely her each other, which caused me to laugh.

I stopped laughing when BB-8 beeped uncontrollably. I knelt down to him and tried to calm him down.

"You're ok. He's with the Resistance. He's going to get you home. All three of us will." I accidently spat out at the end. I tried to ignore the 'what have you gotten me into?' look from Rey. She placed a hand on my shoulder for me to get up. When I did, I turned around as she asked

"We don`t know your name,"

He looked hesitant at first, but he told us "Finn, what`s yours?"

She smiled "I`m Rey,"

Finn looked down at me staring up at him.

"And what`s yours?"

I gave him a small smile "Rachel."

He looked up back at Rey.

"Why do your names sound the same?"

Rey was about to tell him, but I interrupted her.

"Well, Rey told me our mom and dad wanted to name me Shel, but they still liked Rey for, you know a ray of sun, so they came up with Rachel."

"O-k." He said a bit awkwardly.

Rey and I stared at him as he looked like he regretted something.

"Rey-," He began until we jumped a little when steam bursts from under the floor!

"Help us with this, quickly." I said as Rey and I climbed down. She`s better at mechanics than me, but I know a fair amount.

"Woah! What`s going on?" He asked.

We looked around in the small compartment and tried to find the source.

I shuffled some random crap out of the way where the steam was coming from.

It was the motivator, and it wasn't steam, it was poisonous gas! I estimated that we had about maybe a few minutes until it would affect us.

I stupidly reached out and touched it; I involuntary pulled it back, which set off an alarm.

"Ouch!" I shouted.

"Are you ok?" Rey said as she moved closer.

"I`m fine, it`s just hot."

"Alright, how long do you think we have until we`ll feel it?"

"A few minutes, at the most."

She nodded as we both stood up to talk to Finn.

"It`s the motivator, we need a Harris wrench, look in there." Rey pointed to the nearby toolbox.

He looked through it while we went back down to see if we could do something to buy some time.

"How bad is it?" He asked worriedly.

"If we wanna live, not good." I said and went back down.

"They`re hunting for us _now_!" He said "we have to get out of the system."

Rey stood up after she told me to take out the cloth that held my braided bun and put it over the motivator opening; I took out my braid and listened to Rey talking to Finn.

"BB-8 said the location of the Resistance Base is "need to know"; if I'm taking you there, I _need_ to know!"

"This?" He asks and throws it to her as we both go back down and keep working.

She took off the cloth and started working.

"Rey?"

"I`m a little busy, Rachel."

"I know, but do you think Finn`s trustworthy?"

"What about it?" She said, still avoiding eye contact.

"Well, when he talked to you, he kinda talked like, uh, uh, uh-." I stuttered, not knowing the best way to tell her.

"Spit it out,"

"Well, do he was kind of talking to you-."

"Shoot, we need a pilex driver!" She said as she popped up again.

"Pilex driver, please." He looked around.

"So where`s your base?" I popped up and asked, testing him.

"Go on BB-8, tell her." Finn told BB-8.

BB-8 looked at him, then turned to me, them him, then me, then him again.

"The Ileenium system?!" She asked a bit stunned.

He tossed me the tool as we both went back down and tried my best to fix it.

"Yeah, the Ileenium system, that's the one, get us there as fast as you can." He sounded a bit relieved of something.

"We'll drop you two at Ponemah Terminal." Rey said.

"I need the bonding tape, hurry!" I stood up.

"What about you two?" He asked while searching for the tape.

"We have to get back to Jakuu."

"Rey-!" I began until Finn interrupted me.

"BACK TO JAK-?! Why does everyone always wanna go back to Jakku?!" He said, losing his mind.

"That`s what _I`m_ saying!" I said to the both of them and pointed to the tape.

He picked up another tool "No," Then another "No. the one I'm pointing to!" Another "No." And another "NO!" Then another. "NO!"

"If we don't patch it up, the propulsion tank will overflow and flood the ship with poisonous gas!" Rey shouted.

BB-8 moved to Finn and tipped his head to the tape; Finn picks it up and tosses it to me. Rey and I went back down to patch it up.

"Ok Rey, You're a pilot, you can fly anywhere! Why go back?! You got a family? You got a boyfriend? Cute boyfriend?" Ok, he was _definitely_ flirting with her!

"What about you Rachel?" He asked, which caused me to turn red a little and hand Rey the tape.

"If you ask me that again," I stood up "I`ll bury you, and dance on you grave; still think I have a boyfriend?"

"Well, I didn't say you had a boyfriend, I just thought that-."

"None of your business, that`s why!" Rey unnecessarily defended me.

Suddenly, the power went out!

"That can`t be good," Finn said.

"No it can't be," Rey said.

We rush out and into the cockpit as Rey sits in the pilot`s seat and Finn beats me to the co-pilot`s. Rey checked the dead instrumentation panel.

"Someone's locked onto us, all controls are overridden." She says.

Finn climbs up and uses Rey`s head for support.

"Get off, get off."

"See anything?" I asked.

"… Oh no,"

He plopped back down into the seat.

"It`s the First Order."

"What do we do-, there must be something." Rey asked.

It looked like Finn`s mind was rushing.

"You said poisonous gas."

"Yeah, but we fixed them." I said.

"Can you unfix them?"

We stared at him for a second, but then we got his plan!

We rushed back to the lounge, grabbed the gas masks and a few of the tools, and open the hatch to the motivator.

We put our gas masks on as Finn and I got into the compartment.

"Come one, BB-8." Rey urged him down.

"I got him," Finn says as Rey passes BB-8 to him. He fell down. "Ouch!"

"Quiet!" I told him.

"I`m ok, thanks for asking." He told me.

Rey jumped in after us as the both of us got to work.

"Think this`ll work on those guys in white?" I asked.

"What?" Finn asked.

"She means the Stormtroopers." Rey told him.

"Oh, yeah. Their masks filter out smoke, not toxins."

The lights come on and we hear the ship`s ramp lowering! Finn closed the gate just in time.

"Hurry!"

"I am hurrying!" I whispered to him.

We heard the door open! Rey and I stopped fiddling with the motivator so we wouldn't make any noise.

"Chewie, we`re home."


	4. Han Solo and Race Around the Ship

We heard the man above us walk around a bit, than the hatch opened above us! You had no idea how terrified Rey and I were when we saw the man, but also about a seven foot thing!

"Where are the others? Where`s the pilot?" He asked, angrily.

"I`m the pilot!" Rey spat out, being a tad afraid.

"You?" He asked.

The thing moaned; I imagined it said "Liars!"

"No, it`s true! She`s the pilot and we`re the only ones on board!" Rey said.

"You can understand that thing?!" Finn asked.

"And "that thing" can understand you too, so watch it. Come on outta there." The man said.

All of us climbed out. When I stood up, the man looked at me from head to toe.

"Jeez, you brought a little girl with you." He told Rey.

"I am SIXTEEN! _Why_ does everyone think I`m a kid?" I said, nearly losing my mind.

He ignored me and asked "Where`d you get this ship?" He looked right into my eyes.

"Niima Outpost." Rey spoke, which made him look up from me and walked closer to her.

"Jakuu?! That junkyard?!"

"Thank you! Junkyard!" Finn suddenly said.

"Told ya we should've double-checked the Western Reaches!" The man exclaimed to the seven foot beast.

"Who stole it, Duncain?" He asked her.

"I stole it from Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving Boys, who stole it from Ducain." She told him.

"Who stole it from me! Well, you tell him Han Solo just stole back the Millennium Falcon for good."

"This is the Millennium Falcon?! You`re Han Solo!" I said, gleefully.

'Used to be," He told me.

"Han Solo, the Rebellion General?" Finn asked.

"No, the smuggler." Rey said before I could.

"Wasn't he a war hero?" Finn asked.

"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs, right?!" I shouted to him.

"Twelve!" He shouted, I think he said something else under his breath.

"Hey! Some moof-milker put a compressor on the ignition line" He came out of the cockpit and moves to the corridor.

"Unkar Plutt did. I thought it was a mistake too, puts too much-." Rey said before Han and she said the same thing.

"Stress on the hyper drive," They both said. He looked at her for a few seconds but then,

"Chewie, throw 'em in a pod, we`ll drop them off at the nearest inhabited planet." He said.

"Oh hel* no! We need your help!" I said aloud.

"My help?"

"This droid has to get to the Resistance base as soon as possible!" I said.

"He`s carrying a map to Luke and Cerise Skywalker," Finn said, which made Han stop in his tracks.

"You are the Han Solo that fought in the Rebellion, you knew them." Finn said.

"Yeah, I knew them. I knew Luke and Cerise." He said.

Suddenly, all of us heard a noise that sounded like something bashing up against a bunch of metal!

"Don`t tell me a Ranthtar`s gotten loose!" He said and hurried out with everyone following.

"Wait, did you just a Ranthtar?! Hey-!" Finn panicked.

The Falcon is parked in this giant freighter's hangar. Han moves to a control panel, we all follow him.

"You're not hauling Rathtars on this freighter, are you?" Finn asked.

"I'm hauling Rathtars." On the control panel, images on screens from all around the ship, including the exterior where a ship was landing on the freighter, Han looked fearful full his life.

"Oh great, it's the Guavian Death Gang; they must've tracked us from Nantoon." He said and headed off.

"What's a Rathtar?" I asked.

Han led us down a long, very narrow hallway.

"They`re big and dangerous." Han told me.

"You ever heard of the Trillia Massacre?" Finn asked Rey and me.

"No," Rey and I both said.

"Good."

"I got three of them going to King Prana." Han said.

"Three?! How`d you get them on board?" Finn asked once again.

"I had a bigger crew," Chewie groaned.

Han opened a hatch in the middle of the floor.

"Get below deck and stay there until I say so, don't even think about taking the Falcon."

"What about BB-8?" Rey asked.

"He stays with me until I get rid of the gang, then you can have him back and be on your way."

"What about the Rathara, where are you keeping them?" Finn asked.

I soon heard a slam against the wall behind me and let out a screech with Rey quickly turned around to find a slimy, long tongue against the window!

"There`s one," Han said.

"What are you gonna do?" Rey asked.

"Same thing I always do, talk my way out of it."

Chewie let out another yell, talking to him.

The three of us went down and got on out legs so we wouldn't be seen and so we could fit.

The door a few meters above us opened.

"Han Solo. You are a dead man." We heard a thick accent say.

"Bala-Tik. What's the problem?"

"The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job."

The three of us kept looking up to see what they looked like.

"Can you see them?" Rey whispered.

"No,"

"Both of you, shut up or they`ll find us." I said sternly.

"Shh!" They both spoke quietly.

"I heard you also borrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub." The man with an accent said again.

"You know you can't trust those little freaks! How long've we known each other?"

The group walked above so we could get a small glimpse.

"They have blasters," Rey said.

"A lot of them," I said as quiet as possible.

"The question is how much longer will we know each other? Not long. We want our money back now."

"Ya think hunting Rathtars is cheap? I spent that money."

"Kanjiklub wants their investment back, too."

"I never even made a deal with Kanjiklub!" Han defended himself.

"Tell that to Kanjiklub."

We heard another door open, this time on the opposite side.

"Tasu Leech. Good to see you." Han said to the leader.

We heard the leader speak in another language.

"Can you speak that tongue?" I asked Rey quietly.

She shook her head and tilted her head to me and Finn to follow her, we began crawling.

They talked to each other for a few moments until someone finally said something that caught my ear.

"That BB unit, the First Order is looking for one just like it." I listened in.

"and three fugitives," That`s when all three of us stopped crawling.

"First I`ve heard of it," Han lied.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

"Search the freighter," someone said.

The three of us looked at each other, terrified. We crawled in the opposite direction, swiftly.

We soon came upon a small box that Rey and I stopped at.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, if we close the blast doors in that corridor, we can trap both gangs!" Rey said with glee.

"Close the blast doors from here?" Finn asked.

"Resetting the fuses should do, right?" I asked Rey.

"Yes, yes it should."

She began turning the fuses counterclockwise as Finn and I joined in. When we were done, Rey and I smiled optimistically to each other.

But fate had the last laugh, as the lights suddenly shut off and we heard a deep but loud growl!

"Oh no," Rey said.

"Rey, what did you do?" I asked.

She turned to me and looked a bit pale "Wrong fuses,"

We heard another growl, but this time right above us! In shock, I crawled faster with Rey and Finn following.

"This was a mistake!" Finn said.

"Huge!" Rey and I said together.

We thankfully found a hatch above us soon and opened it. Rey popped her head up first to make sure it was safe; it was.

She pulled herself out than pulled me out with Finn following. We ran and turned a corner when Rey asked,

"What do they look like?"

We turned another corner and saw a few men fighting a humongous, terrifying, disgusting monster!

Rey put her hand over her mouth as both of ours eyes nearly popped out.

"That`s what they look like!" Finn said as he grabbed Rey`s arm and pulled on it. I caught up with them.

"This way!" Finn shouted and pushed me in front of him so I could catch up with Rey.

I only got up to her by my side when we heard Finn scream!

"Finn!" Rey and I shouted when we saw him being pulled away with a tentacle around his legs!

"Rey! Rachel!" He shouted to us.

I foolishly ran to him and tried to grab his arms and pull him. A tentacle wrapped around my arm when I came close! I screamed and tried to get my knife out to try and chop it, well, saw it off. But Rey beat me to it and took my knife and slashed the tentacle! It let go and took Finn away!

"Are you ok?!" Rey asked.

It stung a lot, but I was still alive.

Rey turned the corner and I followed her.

"Finn!" We both shouted; he was nowhere to be seen.

We kept running until I realized we past a control panel! I ran back and stared at the cameras of almost all of the ship, when Rey came back. She grabbed my good arm and tried to pull me, but I wouldn't budge.

She looked down at the panel, when it hit me!

"I got an idea!" I said to Rey.

She looked down at me when I ran to look out at the hallway, there was nothing.

I went back to the panel and looked back at the cameras.

"Ok, if that`s west, and we just came back from the south, then that means they`ll be coming through-."

"East!" I heard Rey shout as she slammed her hand on a button and instantly closed a door on the Rathara`s tentacle that held Finn!

We rushed east and saw him quickly untangling himself out of the dismembered arm.

"Finn!" We beamed in relief at seeing him alive.

He jumped a bit at breathlessly spat out "I-it had me! B-by the door!"

"You were lucky!" I said as the three of us ran.


	5. Strange New World

Finn, Rey, and I turn in to the hanger toward the Falcon as we ran into Han, Chewbacca, and BB-8.

Han was helping Chewie onto the ramp as if he was badly injured.

"Han!" Rey shouted to him as we passed BB-8 and ran onto the ramp with them.

"You, close the door behind us!" He told Rey.

"You two," He looked to Finn and me "take care of Chewie." He said as he and Rey ran up the ramp to the cockpit while Finn and I tried to quickly help Chewie up; who screamed in pain as we rushed him.

You can say I`m the medic out of Rey and me, of course Rey needed to know the basics like bandaging up a wound and cleaning it, but I`m more relied on for stitching up and stopping the bleeding and other kind of complex treatments. The only thing I don`t know how to do is surgery, and I`m just glad I`ve never ran into having to do it.

Finn and I laid Chewbacca on the small couch as Finn tried to hold him down and I rushed to get a medical bag.

"Are you doing anything?!" I heard Han shout to me when Chewie`s screams became louder.

"Well maybe if I could find the damn bag, I can help him!" I shouted back to him.

I soon pulled out a black bag as a bottle of a type of medicine fell out. I picked the bottle and bag up and ran back to the lounge to hear a scream from the cockpit!

"What`s going on up there?!" I shouted.

"Nothing, just worry about Chewie!" Han shouted back to me, I nodded and kneeled beside Chewbacca and checked on his wound, it was open with blood quickly flowing out!

"Hand me that bottle of alcohol, now!" I pointed to the bottle and shouted to Finn while putting pressure, making Chewie roar loudly than I expected him to; I had to clean the wound.

"Rachel, I don`t think now`s the time to-!" That idiot! He thought I was going to drink it whole!

"Please hand me the bottle, Finn." I tried to say nicely as possible.

He saw impatience and anger in my eyes as he quickly threw the alcohol.

"Help me hold him down," I ordered Finn; he nodded his head and held his arms and legs down.

I poured just an inch of alcohol on his wound, which involuntary made Chewie hit me in the eye, which made me fall to the floor but get right up.

I helped Finn hold down Chewie while still inspecting his wound. Sure enough, blood was still rushing out. I knew what I had to do, but I wasn't going to like it.

I left Finn to hold Chewie down, but told him to put some pressure off and not waste his strength just yet as I looked through the black bag. I found the needle and thread.

I took them both out and went to Chewbacca.

"Not going to lie, this is going to REALLY hurt!" I told Chewie as I looked at Finn for him to put his back into it.

I stuck the needle into Chewie`s flesh and tried to quickly pull the needle through the skin as he thrashed around violently and roared louder than a wailing child as the blood kept gushing through.

"What the hell are you doing back there, kid?!" Han from the front shouted.

"Focus on getting us out of here, while I focus on saving him!" I shouted back to him.

I pulled the needle out and moved onto the second stitch and tried to quickly put it in because I thought the pain wouldn't last. Chewie roared again, but it wasn't ear piercingly loud; yet the blood was still gushing out.

I took the needle out and went to do the third stitch; I almost screwed up big time. I pulled the needle in but slower this time, which made Chewie roar louder and nearly falling off the couch! Thankfully, Finn held him down with more strength. I pulled the needle out and was ready to stitch him up.

"Just one more! You can do it, just only one more to go!" I said to Chewie, over his roars.

This one was the worst.

I poked the needle through his last inch of the wound, but when I tried to poke it through the other side of his skin, it wouldn't go through as gallons of blood were oozing out!

"I can`t do this! It won`t go through!" I shouted to Finn, nearly crying.

"Yes you can! Just do it, Rachel!" He said to me.

I nodded and poked the needle through the skin just a little harder and it pushed through! A lot of blood was rushing out, but I quickly stitched it up, and then cut the thread with my teeth.

"It`s done! I`m done!" I shouted to Chewie. He soon stopped roaring and breathed heavily and winced a little.

I put the materials down and pulled the bandage out of the bag and wrapped it around his shoulder.

When I tied the bandage around tight, I fell to the ground, exhausted and panting up a storm.

"You ok?" Finn asked.

"I`m fine, now that it`s over." I replied.

"You`re telling me,"

Han and Rey entered out of the cockpit. Chewie let out a small moan. Han quickly answered back.

"Nah, don't say that, you did great. Just rest." He looked down at his stitched and patched up shoulder.

"Good job kid, and thanks," He sounded as if he meant what he said for once.

I nodded. "Thanks" I said.

I saw Rey`s eyes shift and looked at my blood covered hands.

"You got blood on your hands," She stated. I looked down at them.

"Really? That a fact," I said.

Han moved his eyes to Fin, sitting down at a round table.

"Hey, you too kid."

"You`re welcome," Finn said and accidently pressed a button, which made some holograms appear out of nowhere on the table. I smiled as Finn tried to quickly turn it off, fidgeting with about all of the buttons.

"So, fugitives, huh?" Han questioned.

"The First Order wants the map, Finn`s with the Resistance. Rachel and I are just scavengers" Rey said.

I looked at Han`s face, he was skeptical. Finn finally got to turn off those stupid holograms that were making all that noise.

"All right, let`s see what you got," Han said to BB-8.

"Go ahead," I told BB-8 as I could feel his slight uneasiness. BB-8 rolled forward a bit and projected a holographic picture of some sort! The five of us reacted to the picture with Finn, Rey, and me staring up in awe, Chewie trying to sit up to look at it but I gently pushed him down, and Han walking through the stars.

"This map's not complete. It's just a piece. Ever since they disappeared, people have been looking for them." Han pointed out.

"Why`d they leave?" Rey asked curiously.

Han looked down and began telling the story.

"Luke was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice turned against him, destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible...He walked away from everything and left Cerise, afraid that if she was with him, she`d be killed. But, she loved him too much, so she stayed with him."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Finn asked.

"There're a lot of rumors, stories. The people who knew him the best think they went looking for the first Jedi temple."

I lifted my head "The Jedi were real?"

"I used to wonder that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, magical power holding together good, evil, the dark side and the light."

I got up from my seat and stared at him in awe, along with Finn and Rey.

"Crazy thing is, it's true. The Force, the Jedi, all of it. It's all true."

An alarm rings on the control station, prompting Han to toggle some switches. BB-8 cuts off the hologram. Chewie rises and moans to Han, but I gently pushed Chewie down once again.

"No, you rest." He told Chewie, and then turned to us.

"You want my help? You're getting it. Gonna see an old friend. She'll get your droid home. This is our stop." He left towards the cockpit, the three of us follow.

Han pilots, Finn, me, and BB-8 are beside him, and Rey in the co-pilot`s seat.

I stared at Rey as she looked out the window and was nearly in tears; I was too. We`ve never seen any other life like this on Jakuu, the only thing we had relative to plants is our old plant we left back at home.

"I didn't think there was this much green in the entire galaxy," I unknowingly said aloud. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Han looked at us as if I was an invulnerable little girl.

The Falcon crests over an endless green forest to reveal a castle on a picturesque lake! We land near the castle, among dozens of worn, smallish freighters.

I rushed out of the Falcon with BB-8 at my side and stood at the edge of the lake and smelled everything I`ve never smelled before.

I could smell sweet liquid coming from deep in the forest. I could smell the freshness of green plants. I could smell the pure water of the lake. I`ve only heard of these kind of things in books.

I turned around to see what other discoveries there were and rushed to the edge of what I assumed was the forest.

I looked up and saw a humongous, tall, monstrous being towering above me.

It had green hair and was brown all over and had more arms than I could count.


	6. Maz's Cantina

**Hi guys, I just wanted to quickly apologize that I haven't been updating on both stories in a while, I was just so caught up being in the** _ **Sound of Music**_ **. Just take a wild guess who I was, not Maria, but Frau Schmidt. It wasn't actually bad; I got to say a decent amount of lines. Anyway, no one cares, so I`ll just move on.**

The beings were towering over me, I had to admit that I was slightly terrified; but I tried to hide my fear so they wouldn't underestimate me and I could protect BB-8.

I walked toward it and reached my shaking hand out to touch it`s giant, brown body, it didn't move! I instantly became excited for my courage and that it seemingly wasn't alive

"What`s that?" I enthusiastically asked BB-8 while pointing up to the being`s green hair. He beeped an answer to me.

"I don`t know what you just said, but I`m going to find out!" I grinned and hastily grabbed onto it`s long arms one by one, climbing higher and higher by the seconds. When I finally couldn't reach a few arms above me, I stopped climbing and settled myself on the limb I stood on and looked around me. I saw two figures staring out at the same lake I was just at with BB-8.

I could see the one to my left handing the one to his right a blaster. I squinted my eyes to figure out who these two were. I saw the one on the right wearing a long, flowing dress, and the other to the left with grey hair. Figures, it was Rey and Han; but where was Finn?

I stared for only a few seconds, until the realization of mischief spread across my face in a big, embarrassing smile. I supported myself better on the body and planted my feet into the limb better and sucked in to shout.

"Hey Rey Rey!"

They both swiftly turned around, taken aback at the sudden loud voice. Rey`s eyes shifted as she tried to find me in the deep woods. I whistled for her to look up. Slowly, her head moved upward and saw my grinning face in the being`s hair.

"Rachel, get down from there!" she shouted.

"No, I`m good up here." I said, failing to hold back my smile.

"Rachel, if you`re not down here in two seconds, I`m coming up to get you!"

"I`d like to see you try!"

She huffed a sigh of annoyance and went to the being`s body, and slowly grabbed onto it`s limbs. I quickly got bored and decided to not cause her trouble and jumped down; maybe I leapt a bit too high.

I fell firm on the ground, pain shooting through most of my right leg.

"Rache!" Rey hopped off the first few limbs and rushed to me as Han also raced to my side.

"You okay, kid?" He asked.

I was about to respond when Finn appeared out of the Falcon.

"Han, where actually are you- What the hell happened here?!" He noticed my leg a quite bruised and a median amount of blood gushing out.

"I fell," I simply said, trying to urge a smile.

"Think you can walk?" Han asked, I could tell he was trying not to rush us.

"Yeah, I think I can." I started getting up, but Rey quickly pushed me back down.

"No, no, put your hand over my neck Rache." She beckoned me to, but I just ignored her and pushed myself up. She was always so over-protective anytime I got hurt. Hell, she told me to stay in bed for a whole week when I got a large scratch on my arm and I already sewn it up. Yes it was when I was seven and she was eleven, but she still does it today.

"I can walk Rey, really."

She still took my hand, which I swiftly pulled away and shot a glare at her.

X LINE BREAK X

After we cleaned up my leg and bandaged it, Han led us to a large type of castle.

"Solo, why are we here again?" Finn asked once again.

"To get your droid on a cleaning ship,"

"Clean?" Rey beat me to it.

"Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. Want to get BB-8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata is our best bet."

"We can trust her, right?" Finn asked, warily.

"Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years. Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare..."

"At what?" The three of us at the same time.

"Any of it,"

The door opened. I could hear it, music and madness. We entered the loud, crowded mess of a hall, pushing past a room full of rough and odd creatures, who gamble, drink, scheme, negotiate, argue. I clanged to Rey`s arm. My eye caught the back of a tiny, thousand year-old, four foot tall interesting little creature, who suddenly turned to us. She was female, wearing large goggles.

"Han Solo!" She shouted, making me jump. Everyone turned to look at her and follow her gaze to us. It was deathly silent.

"Oh boy," He whispered to us, then turned back to the small alien "hey Maz!" He waved for her to come over. She walked over to us and looked up around for someone.

"Where`s my boyfriend?" She asked. I eyed Han.

"Chewie`s working on the Falcon," Oh, that`s what she meant.

"I like that Wookie. I assume you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it."

Maz walked off, gesturing for us to follow. Finn, Rey, and I were confused. Han indicates for us to follow, we did. We passed an enormous looking beast I`ve never heard of, and sat with an extremely pale woman, wearing nothing but a black vale and a white and black dress. She caught me staring at her, turned to me then gave me a smile that still makes me uncomfortable, and winked at me. I felt my face turning red and spun my head around, trying not to show her that I felt my innocence slowly shattering; I was a bit over dramatic about few things.

Maz led us to a decently big table and pulled out a few bowls of fruit, I haven't eaten since we were on Jakuu. I instantly yanked a type of fruit out and started munching on it. I felt someone firmly hit my shoulder, causing me to stop and look at Rey. Out of all times, why did she care about me eating like an animal? I listened to her while sulking and ate how she wanted me to.

I heard Maz and Han talking about the map BB-8 had.

"A map to Skywalker himself? You're right back in the mess."

"Maz, I need you to get this droid to Leia." Han responded.

"Hmm. No. You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han, nyakee nago wadda. Go home!"

"Leia doesn't want to see me."

"Please, we came here for your help." Finn cut in.

"What fight?" Rey asked.

"The only fight, against the dark side. Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith, the Empire. Today, it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them. Fight them, all of us."

"There is no fight against the First Order! Not one we can win. Look around. There's no chance we haven't been recognized already. I bet you the First Order is on their way right-!" Finn stopped when Maz adjusted her goggles as her eyes got wider and she stared at him.

"What`s this? What are you doing?" She hoisted herself onto the table and crawled, knocking over food and glasses, to Finn.

"Solo, what is she doing?" He eyed Han.

"I don`t know, but it ain`t good." Han told him.

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

He glared at her "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen."

"What have you exactly seen?" I was tempted to say.

"You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."

I was absolutely stunned, I didn't even need to look at Rey`s face to see if she felt the same. Maz crawled back to her chair and looked at two pirates in the corner.

"You see those two? They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear."

"Finn?" I asked him.

Rey and I both stared at him; I could tell she looked far more concerned.

"Come with me," He looked at her, then down to me "both of you,"

"What about BB-8? We're not done yet. We have to get him back to your base." Rey spoke.

"I can`t," He got up and handed the gun to Han.

"Keep it kid," He told Finn.

He nodded and left. Rey and I looked at each other, then nodded and got up.

"Who are the girls?" I unknowingly heard Maz ask.

X LINE BREAK X

Rey and I followed Finn to see him talking to the pirates; I quickly barged in.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I felt Rey come up behind me and rest her hands on my shoulders.

"Don`t leave without me," He told one of them as he pulled both of us aside.

"You can`t just go, I won`t let you." Rey told him.

"I`m not who you think I am,"

"W-what are you talking about?" He was scaring me.

He stared up at Rey and not down at me "I'm not Resistance. I'm not a hero. I'm a Stormtrooper. Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never know. And raised to do one thing… But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I ran, right into you and Rachel. And you looked at me like no one ever had. I was ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back. Rey, come with me. You too Rachel."

"Don`t go," She said, I heard her getting a bit chocked up.

"Take care of her Rachel, please." I looked up at him and forced a smile, while tears were almost escaping my eyes. He walked back to the pirates as they left through the door.

"Finn, wait!" I heard Rey behind me as she gently shoved me out of her way and ran to catch up with him. There I was, completely alone in silence.

" _Noooooooooo! Please!_ " I heard a faded cry of a little girl behind me. I turned around sharply to see where she was. She was nowhere. I took a few steps to where I thought I heard the cry, she cried again. But this time, I could hear a baby wailing.

I earnestly took more steps to the cries until I couldn't anymore.

I stared down at the seemingly bottomless darkness in that basement opening.

 **Okay so I was planning on writing more, especially after that long wait, but I just NOW figured out that this story will be done in probably three more chapters.**


	7. Captured

**Hey everyone, I just want to quickly say that I`ll be in Denver for a few days, so I won`t start on writing new chapters for a little amount of time.**

I gathered what little courage I had and went down in that basement with BB-8, against my wishes, following me down.

As I slowly and carefully stepped down the steps, the screaming from the little girl and the wailing from the baby grew louder with each step. I prayed that I was losing my mind instead of finding children scared to death.

When I finally stepped off the last stair and onto the solid ground, I looked for the door out of multiple to find the screaming youths. I got close to one particular door that made me vibrate when I walked past it. I reached my shaking hand out and hesitantly turned the knob.

I moved into the dark, small, vaulted storage room. Old treasures line the floors and walls, but just a small box was interesting me, but was frightening me greatly. I moved to it, unsure, afraid, as if an energy from inside the box has been calling me here. I could hear BB-8 nervously following. I reached out slowly and unlocked the box.

When I pulled the hatch open, I found a fairly useable lightsaber! With hesitation, I reached towards it, in curiosity. As my hand makes contact with it, I heard a sound as if someone was lighting a huge match right against my ear!

I sharply moved my hand away from the saber and let out a small shriek in surprise. I looked around my surroundings; I was in complete darkness and soon began to hear loud but soft whispers!

"NO!" I heard the familiar little girl and baby howling.

I stood and look around, confused by all I see and hear. I turn and see, through a doorway. A way out! I run down the corridor as fast as I could, but it tilts and turns! I tried to keep my balance, but my strength gave out and I land on the wall. But, it impossibly turned to dry grass!

I looked up and saw an entire house caught on fire! I heard a small but loud beep echo out of my right ear and turned to the noise; I sat up and went on all fours. I stared at an R2 unit checking on a woman and a man. The woman stood while the man knelt down and had his hands gently rested on her stomach, which stood out; she was pregnant.

The R2 unit must have discovered my presence, since it started beeping in fear. The man ignored it at first, but turned and set a robotic hand on its head when the beeping became rapid. I tried to control my loud and quick breathing to prevent them from hearing. But, the soon to be mother saw me out of the corner of her eye and made a small noise to warn her husband. I tried to get onto my feet, but the blazed house disappeared as I found myself in the cold and bitter rain and heard a gut wrenching scream when everything vanished! I instantly looked up while standing up and saw a creature with a fiery red saber sticking out of his chest! When he fell to the ground I let out a small screech without thinking. The man that stabbed the creature and a few Stormtroopers turned sharply towards me, hearing my yelp. I let out a loud, ear piercing scream, frozen in fear.

I instantly saw the rain and darkness disappear and found myself on Jakuu, the recognizable planet.

"No! Come back!" I hear the now all too familiar screaming.

I pivoted around and sure enough, found the little girl I was searching for; she had a striking resemblance to Rey! I saw a meaty hand gripping her shoulder as she kept screaming; I heard equally loud wailing. I turned my head and found them coming from a basinet a few meters away from the child.

"Quiet girl!" I heard a fairly recognizable voice. I looked up and saw Unkar Plutt.

"Come back!" She only screamed louder and looked up at the sky.

I turned my body around and saw a ship flying towards the sun, as it was being eaten by darkness. My eyes widened as I felt my entire body becoming cold and found myself in a snow covered forest.

I was losing my mind, I had to be! I looked around at my surroundings with my entire body shaking in terror and in coldness. I heard the same sound of a match clashing behind me, which made me let out a small gasp and turn around. Nothing. I could see my own breaths spilling out of my mouth as I saw the same man in black that stabbed the creature emerge from behind trees! I panted heavily and let out another scream and fell back onto the ground, pulling my legs to my knees and lying there, praying for my rescue.

I felt the man put his hand onto my right cheek and pushed it down hard. "Rey! Rey! Rey, please!" I shouted for my sister, letting the tears roll as I tightly shut my eyes.

"Rachel! Rachel! Wake up!" I heard her scream!

I shot my eyes open and found myself in that room, lying on the ground with Rey`s hand on the same cheek and her other gripping my shoulder. I controlled my crying and stopped.

She pulled me into a tight hug and heard her whimper a little. She helped me up and pulled away.

"What happened?"

"I-I swear I don`t know! I just opened the box and then-then I saw a house on fire, and a pregnant woman; I saw someone all in black murdering hundreds! And then, and then, there was a little girl! She looked just like you Rey!" I started breaking down again.

She pulled me into a hug.

I sniffled and panted heavily at recounting what I just witnessed, while hugging Rey tightly.

"It was so scary," I managed to croak out.

"It's okay; I'll never let that happen to you again, never." She comforted me.

The lady and her husband loosing there house, hundreds of innocents losing their life, and the children which I assumed to be me and Rey. I just wanted to abandon it all.

I continued to whimper. "Rachel, look at me." Rey pulled away and knelt down to my height, while still gently holding my neck. "Everything`s going to be al-," She was interrupted midsentence when we heard someone tiptoe through the door.

It was Maz.

"I shouldn't have gone in here," I told everyone in the room, mostly myself.

"That lightsaber was Luke's. And his father's before him and now, it calls to you!" She looked at me.

Rey let me go and stood up. "We have to get back to Jakuu,"

"Rey," I whispered, she didn't seem to hear me.

"Han told me about you two," She extended her hand towards mine and took it.

"Dear child. I see your eyes. You already know the truth. Whomever you're waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back. But... there's someone who still could."

"Luke," I said. I looked up to Rey; she already knew the truth long before me.

"The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. It moves through and surrounds every living thing. Close your eyes. Feel it. The light. It's always been there. It will guide you. The saber. Take it."

I stared at her for a few seconds, and was about to say-.

"She`s never touching that thing again, we don`t want any part of this." Rey already made my decision.

"Rey please, let me just-," She didn't let me answer and swiftly grabbed my wrist and tugged on it firmly until we were outside.

She dragged me into the woods, not knowing where else to go.

I was ready to argue with her that she never let me make my own choices, but heard a rumble. It seemed I was the only one to hear it since Rey didn't even flinch.

X LINE BREAK X

She didn`t make us stop walking until I complained that my legs hurt, an obvious lie. She ignored me and walked a few steps, but then stopped too, complying with my fib.

The both of us caught a beep in our ear behind us. We turned around and saw BB-8 following us.

"What are you doing here?" Rey asked.

He beeped again.

"You have to go back," I walked towards him.

He rolled closer to us.

"BB-8. No, you can't, you have to go back, you're too important. They'll help you." Rey reassured him.

I heard another sound, but it was louder. There was no way Rey couldn't have heard that one. All three of us stared at the sky to see a fleet of First Order ships fly over our heads and towards the castle!

We quickly raced back to the castle to warn everyone in it, not even caring if anyone was falling behind.

X LINE BREAK X

We hid in the tress near the castle to see it in anarchy! Many were dying right in front of us plus Stormtroopers fighting them! We saw two a reasonable distance away from us calling in others.

Rey quickly took the gun Han gave to her and fired; nothing came out!

"Safety!" She said to herself and quickly turned off the safety while they were firing at us, then shot both of them! She stared at it, never thinking she could shoot like that. I saw more approaching Stormtroopers!

"We have to get out of here!" I grabbed her shoulder and dragged on it for her to go, she did and pushed me forward as she shot more.

The three of us ran faster and faster each passing second until Rey stopped BB-8 and me.

"You have to keep going, stay out of sight," We both crouched down to his height.

"We`ll fight 'em off, just keep running." I added.

"We?" Rey asked sternly. "no, you`re going too."

"But I want to help!" I fought.

"Your help is being safe and staying with BB-8. Find Finn."

I shook my head rapidly, still not obeying.

"I`ll see you again, I promise." I hugged her tightly, then she pulled away and we both got up.

"Go, run!" She shouted as she ran in the opposite direction. I did too, BB-8 following.

X LINE BREAK X

I kept running even when I thought I could no more. I eventually slowed down and fell on my knees to catch my breath. But, something wasn't right. Where was that annoying beeping coming from BB-8?

I swiftly turned my head around, he wasn't there! I got back onto my legs as my breathing increased and looked around. I almost shouted for him, but thought better than to attract attention.

I ran my hands through the scalp of my hair stressfully.

"You`re an idiot! You only had to do one thing, and you lost him!" I scolded myself in my head.

I couldn't calm myself no matter how many times I`ve tried; but something caught my ear. I heard something or someone`s heavy breathing. I hesitantly walked to the sound to figure out what it was.

The same exact sound of a match bore into my ears as I quickly backed up in fear of the noise. My heart sunk deeply when a familiar, almost twice my sized man dressed in black appeared behind the trees!

My brain triggered a fight or flight response, I chose flight as I ran away and attempted screaming to Rey three times while running up and down structures.

I turned around after the third call and threw my knife at him. He raised a hand and stopped it in midair! I tried to turn around, but he raised his other hand and stopped me right in my tracks! I gasped and thought it was some kind of trickery, but I still couldn't move.

There was a pause as he just stared at me, then spoke in a dark and bitter, no disturbing, voice "The girl I`ve heard so much about. Funny, I thought it`d be someone more grown." I didn't even care.

He walked around me and faced my back. It took everything for me to hold back my crying.

"The droid," he paused for a moment and sure enough a red lightsaber was close to burning my cheek "where is it?"

I didn't say anything.

"Where is it?" He became more aggressive.

"I lost him," I simply said, closing my eyes.

He didn't believe me; instead he pulled the saber away and walked back to my front. What he did was one of the single most disturbing things that I`ve ever experienced.

He reached his hand out and gently touched my face. My body strained in fear and was breathless. He moved his hand up from my face to my forehead as if he was looking for something. In a matter of slow minutes, he removed his hand to my great fullness.

"The map, you`ve seen it." He reached his hand out again to touch my face and searched for more. I couldn't take it anymore, I let the tears fall from my face and let him search through my mind. But as if someone was looking out for me, an explosion was heard in the distance and a few Stormtroopers ran up from behind trees. He dropped his hand from my face and looked at them.

"Sir, Resistance fighters! We need more troops." One said.

He walked behind me.

"Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need."

Everything went black. The only thing I could feel was someone catching me in their arms and lifting me up, before losing all senses.


	8. The Resistance Base

**AN: "Hello Boys! I`m Baaaaaaaaack!" I just wanted to say it. That`s all.**

The black marked X-Wing swoops down, firing, exploding another Tie Fighter!

"Pull back the tree line!" A Stormtrooper shouts.

Han and Chewie dodge debris, firing and taking out troopers. Finn takes out two of them with the blaster, then, out of breath, turns to see Kylo Ren in the forest, carrying Rachel in his arms into the shuttle! Finn's heart shatters, Han stops and turns to see Kylo Ren entering his shuttle.

"No! Rachel!" Finn shouted and ran as fast as he could to the shuttle, ignoring the explosions growing nearer.

"No, no, no, no, Rachel!"

In crazed frustration, Finn stops running, watches the receding First Order ships, Rachel their captive.

In fear, Finn ran to find Han.

When he located him, he frightfully told him "He took her! Did you see that? He took her. She's gone!"

Han responded, seemingly unaffected "Yeah, yeah, I know," and headed off with Chewie following.

What Finn heard next, was what terrified him the most in those few minutes.

"Finn!" He heard Rey`s voice call for him.

He turned around sharply and saw her emerging from the forest. He ran to meet her and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

When she stopped, she was catching her breath from all the sprinting.

"Rey, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Finn asked her.

"I-I`m fine, I`m okay." She managed to croak out, "where`s Rachel?"

Finn`s heart leapt in his throat " _How am I supposed to tell her?! 'Hey Rey, your only sister was taken and they`re doing God knows what to her! But I`m sure she`ll be perfectly fine.'"_

"R-Rey, I-I don`t know how to tell you-," He stammered.

"What are you talking about?" She tightened under his arms.

"Rey, they took her."

It took her a few seconds to understand what he just revealed to her

"What?" She asked. The poor girl was on the verge of tears.

His own heart was already tugging. "Rey, they took her. The First Order. Kylo Ren. I just, I saw him. I stood there. Rey, I`m so sorry-." Before he could finish, she threw her arms around his neck and tried to hide her tears.

"What have I done?" She choked out.

He stood there for a few seconds, arms loosely to his sides, than he slowly wrapped his arms around her weeping figure.

They stood like that for a while, until he finally managed to speak to her.

"Rey listen to me, we`ll get her back, I promise." She continued to cry, but her sobbing slowed.

When she didn't respond, Finn pulled away.

"Rey, look at me." He hesitantly put his hand on her cheek and softly brushed a few of her tears.

"We`ll find her, both of us will."

She gave him a small smile "Thank you, for everything."

He smiled and dropped his hand from her cheek.

"Come on, let`s go." He said to her.

X LINE BREAK X

Han moves toward a Resistance Transport landing in the -8 rolls up beside him, in wait for the transport.

Finally, the transport door opens. And standing there is Leia. She sees Han and is stunned. A silent beat, husband and wife reunited for the first time in years. In the smoke and embers, no one says a word.

Then C-3PO walks out from the transport, into the field "Goodness! Han Solo! It is I, See-Threepio! You probably don't recognize me because of the red arm." He looks over to Leia.

"Look who it is! Did you see who?" She nods to him, signaling for him to leave "Oh. Excuse me, Prin- uh, General. Sorry. Come along, BB-8. Quickly."

BB-8 beeped a response.

"Yes, I must get my proper arm reinstalled." He hurries off.

"You changed your hair." Han noticed.

"Same jacket."

"No, new jacket."

Chewie glad to see Leia, greets her with a hug. Chewie moans a few words, looks at Han then boards the ship.

Han quietly told Leia "... I saw him. Leia, I saw our son. He was here."

X LINE BREAK X

The Falcon and surviving X-Wings roar toward D'qar, a planet with green flora and a ting of asteroids.

The ships descend among grassy mounds and sunken structures.

X LINE BREAK X

Large grass mounds cover Hangars, beneath the odd, giant trees. A Resistance ground crew directs a ship to a Landing. In the foreground, another X-wing canopy opens, a pilot climbs out. The Millennium Falcon has just landed, Finn and Rey run down the ramp, and search desperately.

BB-8 speeds right past Finn, almost knocking him down. The two watch as BB-8 rolls over to the pilot getting out of the Black Marked X-Wing. The Pilot's helmet comes off.

It is Poe Dameron.

Finn can't believe what he's seeing. And Poe, kneeling in warm reunion with BB-8, listens and reacts to something the droid tells him. Poe looks up and sees Finn - and he can't believe it either! Poe smiles, points at Finn. From a distance, Finn gestures in sheer amazement that Poe is alive. Rey looks at him, then Poe.

Finn instantly runs to Finn and embraces him. Rey follows behind.

"You`re alive!" Finn utters.

"So are you!" Poe responded with a hint of relief.

"What happened to you?" Finn pulled away and asked.

"What happened? I got thrown from the crash, woke up at night – no you, no ship, nothing-!"

BB-8 beeped a sentence to him; Poe listened and turned to Finn.

"BB-8 says that you saved him."

"No, no, no. It wasn't just me." Finn looked to Rey.

Poe turned to her and grinned.

"Who`s this?"

"My name`s Rey," she gave a small smile.

"It`s nice to meet you, Rey, I`m Poe. Poe Dameron." He stuck his hand out.

Rey slowly stuck hers out and shook it.

"Hey, thanks for helping Finn out with BB-8, he can be a pain sometimes."

"Finn or BB-8?" She asked, unintentionally making a joke.

He smirked "Both,"

Her smile grew "Well, I had some other help."

"Jeez Louise, how many more people did you get into this?" He laughed at Finn; then turned back to Rey "Who was it?"

Her grin shrunk a bit and said "My sister, Rachel."

He looked around "Where is she?"

Her eyes fell to the floor. Poe side-eyed Finn and slightly tilted his head in confusion.

Finn shook his head "The First Order captured her, back on Takodana."

Poe looked back at her.

"Damn, how old?"

"What?" She looked up.

"How old is she? Rachel."

"Sixteen," She vaguely said.

"Hmm, I`m sorry about that."

She shrugged her shoulders and forced a smile.

Poe`s eyes fell on Finn. "That`s my jacket?"

"Oh here," Finn rushed to take it off, Poe stopped him.

"No, no, no. Keep it. It suits you. You're a good man, Finn."

"Poe, we need your help."

X LINE BREAK X

Finn, Poe, and Rey rush over to the makeshift command center where Leia is located. Finn and Rey take in their surroundings, buried deep among vines and roots. They arrive at Leia, who stands with a group of Resistance Officers.

"General Organa. Sorry to interrupt, this is Finn and Rey, they need to talk to you-,"

Leia waves a hand "And I need to talk to them," She stared at Finn "Finn that was incredibly brave, what you did. Renouncing the First Order, saving this man's life-,"

"Thank you ma'am, but a friend of mine was taken prisoner-,"

"Han told me about the little girl," She turned to Rey "you`re her sister."

Rey slightly nodded.

"Finn's familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system. He worked on the base." Poe cut in.

"We`re desperate for anything you can tell us,"

"That`s where my friend was taken, we`ve got to get there, fast."

"And I will do everything I can to help, but first you must tell us all you know." She turned to Rey again "what can you do?"

"I can co-pilot the millennium Falcon if Chewbacca isn't well enough to travel."

Leia grinned "I wish I could say that is surprising,"

X LINE BREAK X

C-3PO takes the Data Device from BB-8 and inserts it into a Base computer. The projected map appears in hologram. Leia enters, studying it, dispirited as Han, C-3PO and others also study.

"General, I regret to inform you, but this map recovered from BB-8 is only partially complete. And even worse, it matches no charted system on record. We simply do not have enough information to locate Master Luke or Mistress Cerise." C-3PO informed her.

"I can't believe I was so foolish to think that I could just find Luke and Cerise and bring them home." She scolded herself.

"Leia..." Han walked next to her.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" She heads off.

"Anything."

Flummoxed, Han follows looking at C-3PO. "Princesses."

Han follows Leia across the base floor. "I'm trying to be helpful!" He shouted to her.

"When did that ever help?" He was going to tell something when she interrupted him "and don`t say the Death Star."

"What about when we had to send him away?"

Leia hears the change in Han's voice and softens. She turns.

"Listen to me, will you? I know every time you... every time you look at me, you're reminded of him."

"You think I want to forget him? I want him back!"

Han looks at her with sympathy.

"There was nothing we could've done." His face hardened "there was too much Vader in him."

"That's why I wanted him to train with Luke, and Cerise to try and talk to him about the lighter side. I just never should have sent him away. That's when I lost him. That's when I lost you both."

"We both had to deal with it in our own way. I went back to the only thing I was ever good at.

"We both did."

"We lost our son, forever."

Leia shook her head. "No, it was Snoke. He seduced our son to the dark side. But we can still save him. Me. You."

"If Luke couldn't reach him, how could I?"

"Luke is a Jedi... you're his father. There's still light in him. I know it."

"General, the reconnaissance report on the enemy base is coming." General Statura told.


	9. Dreams and Torture

Light. Nothing but light for miles as far as I could tell. It wasn't even sunlight, it was just white light; I felt like I had to close my eyes every second so I wouldn't go blind.

But, in an instant, the blinding lights turned into a sandstorm! I immediately covered my mouth and nose with my hands; I would like to say I wasn't stuck in one more than often.

I walked what felt like inch by inch looking for shelter, when I heard something I honestly thought I would never or want to hear again.

Crying. Shouting. Screaming. All so loud.

I couldn't take it. I fell onto my side and pressed the palms of my hands onto my ears, trying to make it all stop. But it wasn't going away; it was only getting louder. I impulsively screamed almost at the top of my lungs, and begged for it to all stop. As quick as light, it stopped. There was no sound, I wasn't in the storm; I was back in the bright light.

But something seemed different. The light wasn't bright as before, I could finally see more around me, as if there was anything to look at. But, something in the far distance caught my eye. I stalked forward, careful of where I stepped. As I got closer, I finally figured out what it possibly was.

A mirror.

Back on Jakuu, the only way Rey and I could ever look at ourselves, was when we would find a barrel full of perfectly clean water; believe me, it wouldn't happen every day . The only things I knew about myself was what I have told you at the very start. But with a mirror, I could finally see myself clearly!

With that ambition, I quickened my pace.

I was practically running towards the mirror. Seeing the figure appear almost made my eyes pop out of my head. But, as I got closer, my figure changed. I stopped running and tried to get a better look at the person standing right in front of me quite a few meters away.

After making up my mind, I kept walking to the mirror, but sought to make it as slow as possible. As I came closer, the form became much easier to see. What I saw made me nearly jump a foot in the air.

It wasn't me at all. It was a man. A man, for the life of me, I never even laid eyes on. His hair was almost the same shade as mine, but was just a hint lighter. I stepped closer and looked into his chocolate eyes to see if I have met him before. No, I haven't.

I was tired of watching him stand still almost as I was, and rushed to the mirror. When I finally was right in front of it, I thought more. " _Was this REALLY a mirror?"_ To find out, I held my right arm up to touch the reflection. The man mimicked me.

I instantly pulled it down and stepped back; he did the same. I just stared forward and tried to avoid his eyes. I calmed myself and stepped forward. I raised my arm up again, but moved it slowly as he did the same again. When I finally raised my hand to the mirror, I was thankful that I touched glass and not the man`s hand.

I felt the glass disappearing. I felt warmth. I felt the man`s fingers intertwine with mine. I felt myself freezing, just standing there. I felt myself unblinking. I felt heat rush to my face.

In a flash, I pulled my hand out of his and fell back, but not onto solid ground. No, I fell onto sand, in the same storm. I looked around frantically, in terror, and in confusion. I heard it again; the same crying and screaming. I wasn't afraid anymore. I shouted out to them, not telling if I was calling for help, or offering it. I could barely see in the distance, a little girl carrying something with all her might.

I ran to her. "Hey, hey! Little girl!" I shouted. She didn't look up or stop. I figured she couldn't hear me, so I ran right to her. "Come with me!" I yelled almost in her ear. She didn't look up and continued pulling the weight. I was getting agitated, I grabbed her hand, but to my shock, my hand went through hers! She couldn't see me! I nearly fell off my feet, but thankfully caught myself.

I stared off in shock as she rushed away, trying to find shelter. I followed her, still fearing for her safety even if I couldn't do anything to help her. Gratefully, they walked right into an old AT-AT. I stopped myself and realized the familiar structure, but quickly followed her in.

The first thing she did was walk right to back where the head would be and set what she was carrying down on the floor and rested up against the wall to catch her breath. Before I could even let my eyes adjust in the darkness, she pulled herself away and pulled a sheet off the object to reveal a tiny baby in a bassinet! The lines tied, it all made sense! The AT-AT and the baby, the little girl was Rey! And the baby was… me.

I looked down at them as little Rey quite baby me down, and began taking two things out of her dress. I adjusted my eyes to see a few matches in one hand, and a candle only a few inches tall in her other. She struck a match on the wall and seemed fairly amazed it lit so quickly. She picked up the candle and carefully hovered the flame over the candle`s thread and lit it. She blew the match out and threw it behind her. She then searched for something around her with her free hand and caught something. She pulled her finding in front of her, which was a tin plate, and carefully set down the candle and balanced it on the plate. When it finally balanced, she slowly took her hands away and wrapped them around her knees and smiled at the baby on the other side of the candle.

"We`re safe now, you don`t have to be scared." She spoke to her.

I didn't make a noise, the baby or the grown me.

"See, we have a new home. And it`s warm and light with the candle going. It`ll be like this every night, but it will get better the longer we stay here." She finished, but then thought something "Which won`t be long. They _will_ be back, I promise."

I stared at the floor, even though I didn't understand what she was talking about at that age, I was saddened at her high hopes.

I turned my eyes to the baby me. I was staring off into the space, making me wonder what I was thinking about. I let out a soft chuckle.

Rey kept staring at the baby me. "Hmm, you need a name, sissy." She said aloud. She thought for a few seconds.

"Well, I like my name." She said, but thought again "but, it would be very confusing having another me. Maybe Rachel, I would want that to be my name." I smiled.

"Or maybe Leah, I think I remember mommy and daddy talking about a Leah. Which one do you like better, baby? Rachel or Leah?" She asked her, staring intently at her. The baby didn't make a sound.

"Okay, one minute." She turned away and crawled on her legs, looking for something again. She gripped a rock in her hand, stood up, and drew an 'R' and an 'L' on the wall behind her.

"Point to the one you want," She stood out of the way for the baby to look. She didn't lift a finger.

Little Rey became a bit impatient "Alright fine, _look_ to the one you want."

The baby me`s eyes shifted to the 'R' and hastily shifted back to Little Rey.

Little Rey`s face turned into glee. "Rachel! I knew you would pick that!" She cheered and rushed to the baby me.

The baby cried at the sounds. Little Rey slowed down ant calmly took the baby into her arms and rocked her while trying to say and think of comforting things. I grinned at finally seeing what the early days of Rey and my lives looked like.

I suddenly felt a rush of coldness fall over around my entire body. My eyes snapped open and I was restrained down on a seat. It was all just a dream. All of it.

The first thing I saw was the same black figure that was in the cellar, the one that took me away from everyone, everything.

I wanted to shout at him " _Where the hell am I?!"_ like I wasn't afraid, but it came out in a fearful stutter.

"W-where am I?"

There was a pause. "You`re my guest," He finally said, in that voice I only knew for not long, but I grew to hate it quickly.

I instantly thought of everyone. Rey, Finn, Han, Chewie, BB-8. He didn't get them too, did he?!

"Where are the others?" I asked, calmly as I could. If I asked for a specific person, it would show I cared for them the most. Then, he`d do everything in his power to see them dead.

"You mean the murderers, traitors and thieves you call friends?" He asked.

I stared at him, trying my best to look intimidating and waiting for an answer.

"You'll be relieved to hear that I have no idea."

I studied him; I was terrified of him, but curious.

"You still want to kill me," He spoke after a few moments.

"How did you know," I wasn't asking, I was stating.

He ignored me and looked at me from head to toe multiple times.

I felt a stroke of courage strike me "If you`re going to look at me, take that ridiculous mask off and let me see what you look like."

He looked at me right in the eye, then reached up and removed his mask. From the stories I`ve heard, and law on Jakuu, if someone has a face not even a parent could love, the unlucky being had to wear a mask or veil for the rest of their life. But not him; he didn't have any brutal or deformed scars, he was completely clear.

"Now, tell me about the droid," He continued.

" _Think of something, Rachel! Be a smartass!"_

I tried to remember anything Rey told me about him. It took some time until I remembered something.

"He's a BB unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hyper scan vindicator-,"

"navigational chart. We have the rest, recovered from archives of the Empire. We need the last piece. And somehow, you convinced the droid to show it to you. You. A little scavenger," He interrupted me, as if he knew I would say that.

I stared at him in a mix of awe and fear; but quickly realized what I looked like and regained my look of determination.

He gave me a small smirk, "Your dreams,"

I loosened my eyes a bit and stared at him questionably.

"Your dreams, they`re so full of hope; hope of peace and charity. We need more people like you,"

"People like me?" I asked aloud.

"Yes, people like you."

I made my stare turn into a harsh glare.

"The man in your first dream, I`ve talked to him before. Very stubborn, might I ask how you know him?"

" _Sh*t! What do I say?! I don`t know him, I can`t say anything to show that if I cared about him, then he`d for sure kill him. But, can I really tell the-?"_

"I love him," … What the hell did I just say?!

There was a slight pause, but the grin didn't leave his face. "I see, then it would break his heart if something happened to you,"

" _If something-?"_ I snapped out of my thoughts and regained myself, if I was going to get out of here, alive, I had to show I wasn't afraid.

"Then you might as well stitch my lips together, because no force on this planet or the next is going to make me tell you anything." I said with a wry smile

His grin fell and slightly narrowed his eyes at me. "You know I can take anything I want,"

My smile fell a little, but I quickly pulled it up again "Not from me,"

He stood behind me. A few seconds later, a red flash of light hovered right near my right cheek and shoulder.

"I don`t want to do this," He said.

I didn't say anything, but tightly closed my eyes. " _Whatever happens, don`t tell him anything, it`ll all be over soon."_ I kept reminding myself.

I felt the heat of the saber getting closer and closer, until it happened. I felt it sink into my shoulder, tearing the clothes that protected it, and scorch the skin. I let out the loudest, high pitch scream, I`ve ever heard and felt hot tears rushing down my face; I didn't care I was crying right in front of my captor. I felt the saber sinking further into my shoulder and new blood gushing out every second.

When it finally stopped, I bowed my head and let the tears mix in with my hair. I couldn't look at the burn, fearing I would vomit at the sight. Yet, I felt like I was going to either way. I tried my hardest to catch a single breath, but with the screaming and the pain, it was my living Hell.

"Tell me, now." I almost completely forgot he was right there, just staring at my suffering, like he was enjoying it.

I slowly held my head up and looked him straight in the eyes, daring him to hurt me again. "I`ll die with it," I gritted my teeth.

He slowly shook his head and sat right in front of me. "I didn't _want_ to do this to you,"

I tried to let out a laugh, but it came out as a scoff while smiling "What could possibly be worse?"

He reached his hand out to caress my face, but hovered it right over it. No, not this, not again. He moved his hand all over my face, what was he searching for this time?

"So lonely …. You`re so afraid of not being with her." He said while looking through my fears.

I felt a few tears pricking my eyes " _No, no, no! Don`t you dare cry! He`ll think you`re weak."_

"No, it`s alright, I already knew you were weak."

I froze; he couldn't just search through my fears or knowledge, he could search through my thoughts.

This only made him grin as he kept looking through my entire life; I could feel it, I didn't know if my mind or shoulder was more in pain.

"At night, desperate to sleep... you imagine an ocean. I see it - I see the island..."

I finally break, I let the tears fall. He knew the ones before were the shock and pain after the burn, but now he knew it was because he was getting to me, and I allowed it. I tried to move just so I wouldn't look at him, but I couldn't even move an inch.

"And Han Solo… You feel as if you`re in your sister`s shadow when he`s ever near the both of you."

"Get out of my head," I stated simply, once again trying to hide my fear and sorrow.

This only made him lean closer to me, his hand still hovering.

"I know you've seen the map. It's in there... and now you'll give it to me. Don't be afraid. I feel it too."

"I-I`m not-,"

"We`ll see," He said, and looked into my eyes, but not as if he`s going to hurt me. He stared and stared, it seemed nothing was going to stop him.

But, I felt something. Not fear, or sorrow, or begging, I felt something unlock. I thought I already unlocked everything in my mind, it seemed I was incorrect. I unlocked power, not just physical or emotional, I felt like something much more dangerous.

I saw confidence on his face quickly melting away, he sensed the door opening too, but I was the only one that could enter it. For him and everyone who tried to enter, was blocked by an infinite barrier. I entered the door, and could see the thoughts rushing in his head!

I leaned my head forward to go even deeper in his mind, I found his fears. I looked right in his eyes and uttered with my confidence completely restored.

"... You... you're afraid... that you will never be as strong as... Darth Vader!"

His eyes widen and swiftly took back his hand away from my face, releasing me. I leaned back into the chair and caught my breath, the sight of my shoulder frightened me, but I wasn't afraid of the pain anymore.

I looked up at him and glare, telling him not to even dare to mock me. He took the message, and sulked out of the room. I heard him call over a Stormtrooper.

"Keep your eye, on her." He whispered.

"Yes, sir."

" _Alright Rachel, you`re back where you started. Look around, and try to find a way out_."


	10. Rescue is a Go

_UNKNOWN_

"This scavenger, resisted you?" Snoke asked.

"She's strong with the Force, untrained but stronger than she knows."

"And the droid?

Kylo Ren hesitates to reveal the truth. Then-.

"Ren believed it was no longer valuable to us."

Ren turns back - Hux enters the large space, moves to the platform beside Ren.

"That the girl was all we needed. As a result, the droid has most likely been returned to the hands of the enemy. They may have the map already."

Snoke is visibly furious.

"Then the Resistance must be destroyed before they get to Skywalker."

"We have their location. We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system."

"Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon."

Kylo Ren is stunned by the moment - that isn't what he meant at all.

"Supreme Leader. I can get the map from the girl. I just need your guidance."

"If what you say about this girl is true, bring her to me."

 _PRISON_

" _Come on, keep fighting! They`ll come off eventually!"_ I tried telling myself while struggling with the restraints. " _Oh who am I kidding? I`ll never get out of here!"_ I stopped struggling. " _Wait,"_ I thought. " _Didn't Rey say that Jedi could manipulate the minds of others?"_ I thought, remembering the old stories Rey entertained me with. " _If I could manipulate his mind and find his fears, I can manipulate others."_

I calmed myself and prepared. "You will remove these restraints, and leave with the cell door open." I said, with a surprising amount of confidence.

I could feel the Stormtroopers gaze fall on me "What?" He questioned and step by step, came closer to face in front of me.

I stared straight into his eyes, at least where I thought they were, and said adding more authority "You will remove these restraints, and leave with the cell door open."

He moved a few inches closer to me. _"Did it work? Or is he going to blow my head off?"_

"I`ll tighten those restraints, scavenger scum!" He spat.

I stared at him longer, this time, finally unlocking his mind. I bit my tongue to not smirk.

"You will remove these restraints, and leave with the cell door open." I said again.

There was a slight pause, until- "I will remove these restraints and leave with the cell door open."

He reaches down and unlatches the restraints, freeing me, " _This is my chance to run,"_ I froze for a few moments, shocked that I was successful. Seconds later, I heard him leaving. Remembering that he had a weapon, I froze but yelled to him.

"And drop your weapon!"

"And I will drop my weapon," He said while I heard the blaster fall to the floor.

I carefully stood up and made sure the trooper was gone; he was. I sneaked out of my little prison while picking up the gun and carefully rushing away from that hell. A minute later, I heard shouts and curses coming from where I ran. I never looked back.

 _D`QAR_

Finn and Rey, now members of the inner circle of the Resistance, are huddled with the group around the map table, which displays a wireframe hologram of a rolling view of surface of Star Killer Base. With them are Han, Leia, Poe, C-3PO, Ackbar, Brance, Snapp, Major Emmet, Nien Numb, and others.

Poe began, "The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn and Rey`s report."

"They've somehow created a hyper light speed weapon built within the planet itself." Snap confirmed.

"A laser cannon?" Brance asked.

"We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale."

"It's another Death Star." Major Emmet said, remembering disturbing events.

"I wish that were the case, Major." Poe said, he hits a control. A Wireframe of the Death Star appears. "this was the Death Star." Poe hits another control, the Death Star SHRINKS, and shrinks and shrinks, as the Surface Area of the Starkiller Base **is** drawn into a larger image, revealing the entire base planet. The Death Star is a minuscule satellite in comparison.

"This is Starkiller Base." Poe continued. This is news to many here, and they're stunned.

"So it's big." Han stated.

"How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?" Admiral Ackbar asked.

"It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears." Finn told.

An officer runs up, hands Leia a Data Card,

Leia`s eyes fall on the card "The First Order: they're charging the weapon again, now." Her hearts sinks. "Our system is the next target."

"Oh my. Without the Republic fleet, we're doomed." 3PO panicked. They all react to this horrible news.

"Okay, how do we blow it up?" Han asked, all eyes fell on him. "There's always a way to do that."

But no one has anything. Leia watches the silence, frustrated.

"Han's right."

"In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator." Rey stated.

Finn turns to her "There is one." All eyes on Finn as he moves around the hologram to a location on the Star Killer Base and zoom in.

"Precinct 47. Here." He points. "If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon."

"Maybe the planet." Major Emmet begins.

Poe then tries to bolster spirits, looking at the big hexagonal structure, the Oscillator.

"We'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we got." Poe says

"They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate." Admiral Ackbar states.

Rey looks to him "We disable the shields."

Han turns to Finn "Kid, you worked there, what do you got?"

"I can do it." Finn confidently says.

Han smiles "I like this guy,"

"I can disable the shields. But we have to be there, on the planet." Finn ushers Rey.

"We'll get you there." Han said.

"Han, how?" Leia asked.

"If I told you, you wouldn't like it."

"So we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun. All right. Let's go!" Everyone splits after Poe`s comment.

 _HANGERS, RESISTANCE BASE_

Pilots inspect crafts, including Snap, Nien Nunb, and Poe at his black-marked X-wing. Mechanics make adjustments as Crews fuel the jets. Ground controllers move ships into takeoff formation. Pilots prep their ships, including BB-8, who is PULLED INTO Poe's black X-wing. Finn and Rey, wearing a woolen jacket, approaches Poe wearing the jacket and Poe slaps Finn's shoulder and waves to Rey as he heads off. Finn watches Poe, despite it all, they laugh a little.

Chewie, Rey, and Finn follow Han's orders as they prepare the Falcon for one more daring run, maybe its last.

"Chewie, check that donal capitator. Come on. Let's go. Kids, be careful with those - they're explosives." Han ordered.

"Now you tell me?" Finn asked, causing Rey to smirk at him.

"No matter how much we fought, I've always hated watching you leave." Han looks over, there's Leia.

"That's what I did it. So you'd miss me."

She laughs moves up close to him. "I did miss you."

He looks at her, says sweetly, out of the blue: "It wasn't all bad, was it? Huh? Some of it was...good."

"... Pretty good."

"Some things never change."

She smiles. "True. You still drive me crazy."

Han places his hands on her shoulders. It could be thirty years ago. They both know there's a good chance he won't make it back. They pull each other tight, holding for dear life. Quietly, longingly.

"If you see our son again, bring him home." She whispers.

 _STARKILLER BASE_

"Sir, sensors triggered in hangar 718. We're searching the area." A Stormtrooper comments.

"She's just beginning to test her powers. The longer it takes to find her, the more dangerous she becomes." Klyo Ren confirms, than leaves.

 _STAR KILLER BASE- HALLWAY_

I peered around the corner, clenching the blaster to my chest and ready to shoot if someone was there.

I tiptoed down the hallway and pushed myself to keep going, no matter how much my shoulder hurt.

I suddenly collapsed in the middle of the hallway and rested my hand on my shoulder wound. I took my hand off and saw it nearly completely covered in blood, _my_ blood. I needed to stitch it up or it would become infected. I`m not looking forward to it, but I know it won`t happen anytime soon. Instead, I carefully ripped some of my dress and tied it around my shoulder. After I tightened it, I stood myself up and limped.

 _MILLENIUM FALCON_

Flying at light speed, Finn, Rey, Chewie, and Han in the cockpit.

"How are we getting in?" Rey asked.

"Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. Keeps anything traveling slower than light speed from getting through." Han says.

Finn and Rey`s face fill with dread. "We`re going to make our landing approach at light speed?!" Finn asked. Chewie let out an excited yelp. Rey`s eyes widened; Finn noticed this.

"What? What did he say?" He asked.

Rey turned to him "'Hell yes we are!'"

"Alright, Chewie, get ready." Han warns. Chewie groans, he's ready. Han studies the Panel Indicators. "And Now!" Chewie and Han hit switches.

The Falcon's environment shifts instantly from light speed to planet atmosphere. It's suddenly flying 100 feet above the snowy **,** rocky ground, headed for a thick forest!

Chewie let`s out a groan. "I AM PULLING UP!" Han shouts.

But the Falcon has no time. It plows through the trees! It then rises.

Alarms blare as the ship slams through branches and shoots toward the sky! Han does his best to steer, Chewie let`s out another groan.

In the madness, Han yells "I get any higher, they'll see us!" And the ship DIVES again, back into the trees!

A quiet clearing on the forest tree line. Suddenly the Millennium Falcon hurtles out of the forest! From an eruption of branches and pine, the ship dives and slams into the snow! It digs through a thousand yard of white until it finally comes to a canted stop, half buried in the snow!

 _STAR KILLER BASE_

"Sir, she was not found in hangar 718 but all troops are on alert." An officer said.

"Put every hangar on lock-down. She's going to try to steal a ship to-."

Suddenly, Kylo senses something. Something familiar.

"Han Solo..."

 _OUTSIDE_

Han, Finn, Rey and Chewie cross the terrain. Walkers appear on the horizon. Han, Rey, Finn and Chewie take cover behind a base structure. Chewie carries a black duffel bag of explosives.

"The flooding tunnels are over that ridge, we`ll get in that way." Finn pointed.

"Wait," Rey began "what was your job when you were based here?"

Finn looked down at the ground for a few seconds, then looked back up "Sanitation,"

"Sanitation?! Then how do you know how to disable the shields?" Han asked.

"I don`t. We`re just here to get Rachel,"

"People are counting on us! The galaxy is counting on us-!"

"Solo, we'll figure it out! We'll use the Force!" Finn said, full of hope.

"That`s not how the force works!"

Chewie let`s out a small moan.

"Oh really, _you`re_ cold?" Han remarks.

"Come on!" Rey whispers as Finn led the snowy hike. On the horizon, the laser dry siphon shooting into the sky, slowly sucking the sun dry **.**

 _STAR KILLER BASE- CONTROL ROOM_

Technicians at work, the sun sucking seen in the window behind him.

"Report." General Hux speaks.

"Weapon charged in fifteen minutes, sir." An officer told.

 _STAR KILLER BASE- CORRIDOR 4_

A Stormtrooper waits to board a Transport Compartment. The door whooshes open. Han, Finn, Rey, and Chewie are there!

"Hey!" The trooper begins. He fumbles for his blaster but Chewie shoots first. The Trooper flies back, dead. Chewie drags him out of sight. Han, Rey, and Finn peer around a corner, wary.

"The longer we're here, less luck we're going to have. The shields?" Han asks Finn.

"I have an idea about that." He answered. The three of them follow Finn.

 _STAR KILLER BASE- CORRIDOR_

Captain Phasma heads down a corridor, distant Stormtroopers. Suddenly Phasma is T-Boned hard and fast and shoved by Chewie.

And now we're in a narrow cross-corridor, Chewie with his arms around Phasma, forced to face Finn, who holds his blaster on his former captain. Han stands behind Finn while Rey`s right next to him.

"Remember me?" He asks, in a somewhat mocking tone.

"FN-2187," She says.

"Not anymore. The name's Finn, and I'm in charge. I'm in charge now, Phasma. I'm in charge."

"Alright, Alright, bring it down." Rey tells him.

He smiles at her "Follow me,"


	11. Monster

I peer nervously around a corner. When I see the coast is clear, I run down the long, glossy hall, taking cover in an alcove, clinging the blaster to my chest. From this alcove, I can see down another long, perpendicular hallway. To one side, a stone and steel wall. On the other side, a vast atrium, with a railing-free drop off, the white pill-light design descending hundreds of feet. Why did I ever decide to look down?

At the end of this walkway is an open hangar door, revealing hundreds of ships parked outside! Yes, finally! But the only problem, between mw and the ship, is a group of Stormtroopers, in conversation. _"Just, great."_

As I`m trying to think about what to do next, I hear footsteps in frightening unison! I sharply turn my head around and see more troopers headed my way! My mind races, another peek out and I run fast as my legs could hold me across the walkway. _"Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t! What do I-?"_ I looked down into the deep atrium. Just one wrong move and-. I heard the footsteps coming closer.

I sat down and hung my legs over the pit and forced myself to quickly climb down. My fingertips disappear over the edge just as the Troopers approach and continue. I hold on carefully as the guards walk off, not seeing me over the edge, only a long drop to the surface underneath me, " _Don`t you look down, Rachel"_ I scold myself . But then, I see something. What is that? With curiosity going to be the death of me, I carefully cross-climb my way to it, biting the inside of my mouth to not let out a groan of agony in my shoulder. Looks like my dress isn't completely bandage material. I keep climbing to a service hatch; I reach for what I think is the lever? And pull it. It opens! I pull my hand away and hesitantly climb inside, almost forgetting to close the hatch behind me.

A remarkable image I see inside the inner workings of the base! I try my best to climb amid the incredible infrastructure, a drop to infinity beneath me. I noticed I`m between the only light source and what looks like white pills shapes as I make my way across

The haunting steps of the footsteps soon come back. I instantly close my mouth to shut up my thick breathing. I feel there gaze pour into the atrium below them, and instantly shut my eyes, afraid they will see me.

But they can`t! To them, I must be just a light silhouette against the endless white pill lights! I promptly climb across the space, beneath them, toward my exit!

 _STARKILLER BASE- CONTROL ACCES POINT_

Finn, Han, Rey, and Chewie, blasters aimed. Phasma reluctantly works controls on the workstation.

"You want me to blast that bucket off your head? Lower the shields." Finn threatens her, with a blaster to Phasma`s head.

"You're making a big mistake." She stubbornly responded.

"Do it."

Chewie moans Phasma hits a few more buttons; the controls beep "SHIELDS DISABLE INITIATE". Eyes onthe workstation.

Finn turns to Han "Solo, if this works, we're not going to have a lot of time to find Rachel." Rey turned her head back to Finn.

"Don't worry kids; we won't leave here without her."

The controls beep again, "SHIELDS DISABLED".

Phasma turns to them again and cruelly says to Finn "You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all.

"I disagree. What do we do with her?" Rey speaks up, and then turns to Han and Finn.

"Is there a garbage chute? Trash compactor?" Solo asks, recounting past adventures.

Finn gives them a broad smile "Yeah, there is..."

 _STARKILLER BASE-JUNCTION AREA_

Finn, Rey, Han and Chewie take cover, Chewie pulling some explosives out of the duffel. Blast doors nearby.

Finn turns to the group "We'll use the charges to blow that blast door. I'll go in and draw fire, but I'm gonna need cover."

"You sure you're up for this?"

"Hell no, Rey and I`ll go in find and try to find Rachel. The troopers will be on our tail. We have to be ready for that. There's an access tunnel that'll leads-." Rey and Han stare in shock at something behind Finn.

"Why are you doing that? Why do you look like- this?" He mimics them "I'm trying to come up with a plan."

Finn turns, and sees Rachel, struggling to climb out from inside the wall, carefully climbing back up to the main level! He can't believe it! Chewie murmurs his relief. Han is almost breathless 'How can someone her height do that?!' And Rey, she`s almost to tears seeing her little sister alive.

 _RESISTANCE BASE- CORRIDOR 6_

I climb up to the corridor, vigilant. I lean against the wall to catch my breath, accidently letting out a few loud coughs. I hear a sound, not now! I swoop my rifle to the troopers.

It`s them! Finn, Rey, Han and Chewie! They`re here! Right now!

Before I could choke out a word or cry, Rey went to her knees and embraced me. I felt her hand rise to my head and squeezed a clump of my hair and let out a small noise. I-is she crying?

"Are you alright?" Han asked me.

"I`m still breathing," I smile.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Finn asked, maybe a bit overly concerned.

With that, Rey pulls back and pulls back and searches all over me.

"I- I am f-," I feel Rey untangle the makeshift bandage on my shoulder and the air hits the burnt hole, causing me to wince.

She froze, just stared at it, while a few tears were falling from her chin. She was definitely crying. She snapped out of her trance and covered the burnt back up and tore off pieces of her dress to tie more around me.

I looked back up while she was bandaging me "W-why are all of you here?"

"We came back for you," Finn said.

My face falls; I think my heart almost stopped beating for a short time. T-they came back, they risked their lives for me, just one beating heart. I of course expected Rey, but Finn and even Han and Chewie?

Chewie lets out a moan. I look back to Rey, who turned around to look at everyone. She turned back to me and smiled. I stared at her She leans into me and whispers "It was Finn`s idea, not mine." I know she`s lying, but that is the last thing I care about.

"What`d he say?" Rey and I looked back up to Finn who asked.

"That it was your idea," I say. I swear, I`m either going to cry a river, or I`m not going to.

Finn awkwardly smiled. I slip out of Rey`s grip and throw my arms around his waist and hug him tightly. He froze for a few moments, I could tell he was signaling Rey for help, but she wasn't. He slowly wrapped on hand around my head and the other around my back. I smiled. "Thank you," I say.

Han broke us away from our hug "Escape now. Hug later." We nodded and sprinted.

 _STARKILLER BASE- OUTSIDE_

Rey draped her coat around my shoulders when we exited to the X-wings roaring across the sky, blasting and dodging the TIE Fighters and missiles. The rest of us run out into the snow, stopping, eyes on the sky, watching the lop-sided battle. We then turn to each other, resolve in all our eyes.

"They're in trouble. We can't leave." Han turned to Finn "My friend here has a bag full of explosives. Let's use 'em."

 _STARKILLER BASE- OSCILLSTOR STRUCTURE_

Han and Chewie arrive here to find three security Stormtroopers approaching a Maintenance Hatch. Instantly, Chewie takes out the middle one with his Bow caster. Han and the other two Stormtroopers open fire, but Han's aim is true.

 _JUNCTION STATION_

Running inside from a parked snow speeder, and Finn`s coat wrapped around her, Rey and I dash to the service hatch and I open it. Finn behind us, as Rey reaches into the mechanicsof the place, and yanks a piece of tech from the machinery.

 _STARKILLER BASE- OSCILLATOR STRUCTURE_

The hatch opens! Han and Chewie, having been on the lookout, step inside, weapons poised. Chewie moans.

"Those girls know their stuff," Han replies.

Han and Chewie divide the explosives. Talk in hushed tones.

"We'll set the charges at every other column." Han says.

Chewie groans to Han, who looks around, reconsiders.

"You're right. That's a better idea." He checks his detonator "You take the top."

Chewie does

"I'll go down below. Detonator. We'll meet back here." They head off in opposite directions.

Han finishes placing an explosive. Checks he's all-clear and hurries down to the next level. Chewie climbs up a level.

A squad of Stormtroopers snap to alert as Kylo Ren approaches. Controls are hit and the huge door opens. Without hesitation, Kylo walks into the oscillator.

A colossal cynical structure. Dark corridors and catwalk. Kylo Ren comes to a stop. Scans the structure. Senescing something, he motions the Stormtrooper Squad upwards.

"Find them." He states. They rush past him. Kylo Ren turns slowly, and heads down.

The Stormtroopers move up the ramp, weapons ready, checking carefully where blind corners intersect from the perimeter.

They come round to the next higher level. Chewie`s in the shadows, doing his grillwork.

Once they're gone, he plants another charge.

 _OUTSIDE_

The Snow speeder comes to a stop outside the structure. Finn, Rey, and I stop for a moment, look to the sky. The sun is nearly gone! I was the first to race to where Han told us to go.

 _OSCILLATOR STRUCTURE_

Han finishes setting a charge and is about to move on when he hears something and conceals himself behind a wide, vertical support. He peaks around the edge and his whole demeanor changes.

Kylo Ren appears and stops at the railing, looking down into the filter. Han looks at his son with a tortured storm of feelings. Kylo heads directly toward where Han is hiding! Kylo Ren has an increasing sense of Han`s presence as he moves closer. He comes to where Han was hiding, but Han is nowhere to be seen!

From his hiding place in a narrow, power chamber in the wall, Han sees his son pas a few feet away from him. He shifts his position in the tight compartment, so he can watch Ren's progress. Kylo Ren turns onto a flat bridge that bisects the open space.

Unaware of his father, Kylo Ren walks purposefully across to the opposite side. Han watches his son walk off. This is Han's opportunity to escape but Leia's words echo through his mind. He makes a decision and moves out, to the edge of the catwalk.

"Ben!" He calls out strongly. The name echoes as Ren stops, far across the vast catwalk. He turns.

"Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

X LINE BREAK X

We make our way into the space, opening a hatch that allows a beam of sunlight to stream down on Han and Kylo Ren. The three of us get to a railing and look down. We can hear and see them on the catwalk below.

"Take that mask of, you don`t need it." Han says calmly.

" _Is he crazy?!"_

"What do you think you`ll see if I do?" Ren asks.

"… _What?"_ Why is he equally calm?

Han moves toward him "The face of my son,"

My jaw fell open, not very wide, but just enough for me to take in. I looked over to Rey, she looked equally surprised. But she hid it even better than I did.

Kylo took off the mask and revealed the same face I can`t help scowl at.

"Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father. So I destroyed him." Ren said.

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe but it's not true. My son is alive."

He flares "No. The Supreme Leader is wise."

Han moves a little closer to him "Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true." Ren hesitates "It`s too late,"

"No it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you." Han moved a lot closer this time.

In the short time I`ve been with him, this monster is conflicted. Tears pricked his eyes.

"I`m being torn apart, I want to be free of this pain." He chokes out.

Han takes another step forward, but then stops.

"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

There was a slight pause, then "Yes. Anything."

Kylo Ren upholsters his lightsaber and slowly extends it to Han, within a foot of Han's chest. " _Is he- is he really-?"_ Han almost can't believe it either. The moment seems to last forever.

He reaches out for the dark weapon. Something changed in Ren`s eyes.

The saber ignited and the fiery blade shoots out; Right through Han`s chest and back!

" _NO, NO, NO, NO!"_

He whispered something to Han.

I could only hear the murmuring of which I assumed to be Finn and Rey. I just stared. In pure shock. Of what just happened.

The monster extinguishes the weapon and Han`s limp, carcass drops down into the void.

A delayed reaction occurred in me "NOO!" I raised the blaster I held and shot near his stomach, but only ended up shooting just a small amount of his side.

He cried out and held a hand to his side, but Chewie showed no mercy. He fired at the same spot I shot, but hit more of the skin and grazed a few of Kylo`s fingers while he pulled them out of the way. Chewie retreated when the troopers came and disappeared down a corridor, then, one, two, three, four, five, six; six explosives go off and the catwalks starts to fall and the walls cave in! Ren shoots his face up to us, watching the explosions in shock. The troopers fire at us! I instantly shot back, with Rey soon joining in. I felt a cold hand grab my left arm and pull me harshly along with Rey; it was Finn.

 _FOREST- NIGHT_

Finn led us into the dark, snowy forest. "The Falcon`s this way," says he.

Overcome with emotion, we run as fast as we can, away from that hellhole. Finn seemed to be on an adrenalin rush, because he continued to run faster than us. Rey`s trying to keep us with him, as I am trying to keep up with her, but the pain in my shoulder is just eating me away!

But Rey just keeps running; until she`s right next to Finn, seeing her half-dead, slows his pace. She eventually collapsed to the ground and Finn wrapped his arms around her to catch her; her breathing`s fast and heavy along with her rapid coughs. We have to stop. We can`t run.

None the less to give up, Rey pulls herself up and untangles from Finn`s arms. Only, for us to come face to face with the devil himself.

"We`re not done yet," He growls.

"You`re a monster!" I spat.

"It`s just us now, Han Solo can`t save you," He smirked.

Rey instantly raised her blaster up and only just pulled the trigger, but, she was stopped. I sharply turned my head around and saw Kylo Ren`s arm raised! The bastard! I hear Rey`s blaster fly out of her hand and turn to see her being thrown into one of the trees several feet away and falling face first onto the snow, hard, ground! "Rey!" escaped my lips as I sprint to her, with Finn quickly following behind me "Rey! Rey! Rey... Rey... Oh no. Oh no no no..." I keep hearing him.

I land on my knees, dropping my gun, and lay my hand on her hair as Finn holds her close to him; she doesn't move. no. No. NO. NO! She can`t be-! I quickly put my fingers on her neck. Wait, yes! I think-. Finn let's go of Rey and turns around to face Ren, then turns to me and puts his hands on each side of my face suddenly. "Rachel, no matter what happens, just take Rey with you and run and stay out of it!" What?

"Stay out of what?!" I ask, small tears escaping my eyes.

He drops his hands away from my face, stands up, and turns toward Ren. No.

"TRAITOR!" He yells at Finn. In turn, Finn stares coldly at him and switches on Luke`s lightsaber.

"That lightsaber," He continues "belongs to me!"

"Come get it," Finn states.

Despite his fear, Finn raises his blade in welcome. Ren charges at him, Finn terrified, Kylo Ren lunges but Finn deflects Ren's blade! He turns and attacks; amazingly Finn blocks and counter attacks.

I hear a groan come from Rey. I look down and see Rey attempting to lift her head off the ground, while trying to gather her bearings, while my eyes still focus on Finn and Ren fighting, while trying to give her my best comfort while lightly stroking the scalp of her hair.

Ren is obviously hampered by his wound, yet he attacks with a primal savagery. Finn, blocks turning defensive moves into offensive ones. And he gets a hit in! Luke`s saber grazing Kylo`s arm! He moves back, wounded, but more enraged than weakened. He charges again, their weapons pound, sparks fly, their blades lock. The men are close, lit by the powerful, crashing sabers. Kylo Ren pushes Finn back, attacks with pure ferocity. Finn is stunned, unprepared for this fierceness. Kylo unleashes a merciless series of blows, pushing Finn further and further back until he loses balance.

That's when Ren strikes. He lands one final blow to Finn`s torso! Finn easily let`s go of Luke`s saber as he falls to the floor, and it flies several feet away.

That. Is. It. I. Am. Done.

I let out a sharp scream and push myself up and rush towards Ren. He raises his hand up and catches me! But no, this time, he swipes his arms many ways and forces me to copy the movements! It`s like he`s prying me to sway to a disturbing dance. He plants my cheek onto the ground without hesitation. A second later, he gets me up and leads me to a rock hard tree, and lands my face to the wood. Pain rushes to my face and I feel a bruise begin to form and blood slowly rushing from my nose. It`s not the last time, I already know that. He`s doing it to me at least three times, now four, now five, and my shriek and the pain is worse than the last. Finally, he`s had enough of me, and plants my face back onto the ground. I hesitate to get up, but I do, and he does nothing; because I can barely lift my head off the snow.

I hear blaring coughing coming from behind me; it`s Rey as she forces herself up.

"You," she gets herself all up "you son of a bitch!" She screams at the end and runs to tackle him like I tried, but stops. No, no not her! I hear he small gasps as she tries moving, but is frozen in place. I draw my eyes over to her and try to force myself to crawl or get up. He`s coming.

He slowly steps in front of her and just stares at her struggling figure. She has her right arm out, trying to protect Finn`s unmoving body as best as she can. He slowly lifts his hand up and caresses her face. " _Don`t touch her!"_

Many tears rolled down from her face and onto his fingertips. His index finger moves a bit up to tuck a stray line of hair behind her ear. She`s trying her best to show she`s brave. Ren realizes this, and grins the most twisted smile I have ever seen. I feel him look at me from the corner of his eye. He leans in closer while Rey avoids contact and stares at the ground, he whispers, but I can hear it "You`re beautiful, I hope you know that." Her eyes widen as he grins again and continues to slightly brush her face.

Luke`s lightsaber flies right in front of his face and surprises him to lose a small amount of control of Rey, but still holds her still. He turns to me, I did it; I can`t believe I- no, focus Rachel!

I lower the saber from my face and walk a few steps to him, with nothing but confidence in my voice "Get away from my sister, you bitch!" I spat at the end and ignited the lightsaber.

His eyes darken and throws Rey onto the ground near Finn and she gets to her knees and inspects him, while Ren ignites his own and charges at me, but I push further, forcing him to become defense. He runs away from me, but I quickly follow and slash at him, accidently cutting a tree`s trunk, but he turns back around and blocks my attempt. He gains the upper hand and proceeds to make heavy blows similar to the ones he made to Finn; which we stumble upon rocky ridges. I turn my head a little and see the dead end at the finish! I swiftly rotate my head to look for an escape. I see loose rocks I can easily climb on. Ahaa!

I take my chance and lift my legs up high to reach for the rocks; and I do! I quickly scale the ridge and jump onto the hill and somersault to get away from him but quickly get up at slash at his incoming wrist. He grits his teeth and tries to dash forward to me, but I cut the tree trunk above him so it would collapse. It didn't work. " _Damnit!"_ I run back away from him. He comes closer so I pull back and attempt to stab him but he blocks and here we are again fighting while I stagger back. I hear something big fall behind me, and I pull my head around just for a second to see several of the trees collapse into a forming trench! He still pushes forward so I have no choice but to keep stepping back away from him while our swords clash against each other. He gets his close to my gut, but I push it away with mine. He pushes me nearly over the edge!

I struggle as his lightsaber is pushing me down, so this is it, this is how I go? I let out a pathetic cry.

"You need a teacher!" He shouts.

" _What?"_ My sweat from fighting so brutally falls from my face rapidly.

"I can show you the ways of the force!"

I think. " _… That`s it!"_

I shut my eyes and concentrate. I feel my breathing slow and echo as I beckon him to let me into his mind. I felt his eyes pour into me, yet I ignore them.

I force my way through, but quietly. I see his fears again. Perfect.

" _Look at you. Struggling to control others while Vader could take anything he wanted and cause fear every step he took."_ That caught his attention " _You want to be just like him. Evil, cold, demanding, heartless. It is true you are heartless, but you are nothing like the others. You think you`re a strong man. No, you are just a terrified. little. child!"_

I briskly open my eyes and duck and go to the other side in front of him. I slice my saber to him severely while he continues to block all of them! I clench my teeth and slit at his legs. I manage to catch one!

He falls to the ground and catches his breath while pushing himself up "Whore!" He says. I stab his shoulder. " _An eye for an eye,"_

He staggers back again and attempt to reach his saber, but I`m quicker. I reach mine all the way up to my head, but I strike him to the head with my foot, making him fall onto his back against a tree. He struggles to get up. I can kill him right n-. He cunningly pulls himself up and tries to slash my legs! I jump back and raise my saber again to strike, but he grabs my wrist! I, in turn, reach up and grab his. Damnit, he`s so tall! I try my best to stand on my tiptoes and press his wrist to the ground, mixing the saber and the snow. " _Almost. Got it."_

I cunningly pull my arm out of his grasp and land the lightsaber to burn his arm I held! He pulled away, I`m not finished yet! With one final stroke, I whip the saber and form a huge, burning, scar right across his face! I stare down at him and breathe heavily. It`s over.

I saw him pitifully reach for his weapon. " _I said it`s-!"_ The ground below me shakes violently, causing me to fall onto the freezing ground. A crevasse directly in front of me and separates us. I witness more and more trees and rocks fall into the cavern. Rey, Finn. I push the button on the handle of the saber and switch it off and run and run.

 _Forest- Night_

Rey`s coat falls off as I sprint to find them, but I don`t care.

I stop. There she is. Rey`s holding Finn in her arms as she silently cries.

Tears of my own begin to form as I see them, wounded, freezing half to death. I try to choke out words for her to turn around, but it only comes out as a hoarse whimper. Yet the noise echoes in her ears as she turns around and sees me. She gently sets Finn down and starts to run to me. I dash straight towards her.

We bonk into a warm embrace. I press my face against her chest as her arms wrap tightly around my back; and I cry. I know I got most of my blood from my nose on her dress, but we don`t even think about it. I hear her whimper just a bit and feel a few drops of water fall down my shoulder. I open my eyes and see Finn`s still motionless body.

"Finn, Finn!" I yelp and pull away and kneel next to him. I move my hand under his head and shake him just a tiny amount; no response. "Finn?" I whisper, tears streaming down my face like a river. Nothing again. He`s gone, he`s really gone. I let it all out at set him back down on the snow and wrap my arms under his shoulders and lean and sob on his unmoving chest.

I feel a gentle hand run up and down my back and hear my sister`s soothing voice "Rachel, I`m sorry, we never should of-," I interrupt her "No, we weren't living then, we`re living now." I choke out.

She pulls me away from him and holds me tightly. This was all I wanted the moment I experienced true pain; to my shoulder. I cry into her as I feel more water drop onto my shoulder.

"It won`t be long, we`ll be together, the three of us." Which comes out as a whisper with the collapsing trees behind us almost drowns it out. There was a pause. And then "We will. Yes we will." She whispers into my hair and cries into it. I slip a hand out of her grip and tightly but gently hold Finn`s in mine. In case we lose our way there.

Bright lights fill both of our eyes " _Here we go, don`t let go."_ I close them tightly and feel Rey`s chin lift off of me to look at the beam. I hear the roar of someone I could spot a million miles away; Chewbacca. I lift my head up and see him rushing down the ramp to pick up Finn. He is real! He carries Finn while Rey still has her arms tightened around me and we hurry up the ramp and close it when we`re all there.

Chewie sets Finn down on his stomach on a nearby stretcher while Rey leans down to my height and tries her best to clean off the blood falling from my nose while catching her breath; most of it is already dry. A realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I never checked his pulse.

I struggle out of Rey`s grip and run to the couch where Finn and I treated Chewie. Yep, still there. I snatch the medical bag up and run back to Finn. I tear his shirt open and see the hideous scar on his back heavily bleeding and just beginning to pus. I reach my fingers out and feel his neck.

Yes. YES!

I pull my hand back and practically tear the bag open and get a set of cotton balls out. I feel a hand set upon my shoulder as I rush getting more things out.

"Rache, calm down." I hear Rey.

"Rey, now`s not the time!" I spat back at her. I handed her a few of the balls and a bottle. "Soak them in this alcohol, I need to clean the wound." Even though she`s trying to relax me, she obeys. "Done," She hands them back just as I get the needle and thread out. "Thanks," I take them and-. Wait, she shouldn't see this.

"Rey, I need you to go up and help Chewie fly, please."

She gets the message and nods. She leaves.

I take a breath and lie the cotton on the scar.

" _This is going to be a painful night,"_

 **Surprise mother f-, okay I love you guys, so I won't say that. Well, here`s my apology and early Labor Day gift! *quietly* Yayyy! So, y`all better be happy, because this is about 5,000 words. Well, I guess I`ll have to break my new record for** _ **The Hobbit**_ **. Yes you guys, so far, I am doing** _ **The Hobbit**_ **next after I finish this one and get more into** _ **Sister Like Me**_ **and** _ **Try Me.**_ **But, you can vote on my new poll of which story I should publish. I will pray for those who`ve had/have relatives that serve our country. Happy Labor day!**


	12. The End, is just another beginning

**Well, here we are. The final chapter of maybe one of my favorite fanfics I ever wrote. Though, I may not be happy with a few of the past chapters, I had quite fun with writing the whole thing. And, I just wanted to thank everyone that, at of all the fanfictions, favorited this one. Truly, I appreciate it. Jeez, I`m so cheesy.**

* * *

"Come on, come on." I mumble, as I clenched my hand into a fist on his back, in comfort. _"Why am I even doing this? It`s not like he can feel it! Or anything for that matter."_

My inner monologuing catches me off guard and my mind wandered to the worst case scenarios. I shake almost all of them out and focus on helping Finn as best as I could.

"How long is it?" I shout to Chewie and Rey, up in the cockpit.

"Half an hour, if I`m right."

I sigh and mumble "Damnit"

I hear Rey sight this time, and whispers something to Chewie, and walks out of the cockpit. "Rachel, you`re doing all that you can; like we are." I stared down at nothing. She sighs again. "He was only playing with your head Rachel," I look up to her eyes. "What?" I ask. "Kylo Ren, back there, when he-." She paused and recounted what had happened just now. She shook her head and continued.

"He was only trying to mess with your mind, and it didn't work." A small smile tugs on her lips. I scoff "I charged at him and almost sliced him into pieces, how did it not work?" There was just a slight pause "You _almost_ did, it doesn't mean you did. It just means you need to control your anger more." She grins again. I can`t help but to too. "Yeah, I guess." And that was that. She patted my head and got up to get back to the cokpit.

I felt my eyes begging for sleep. I can only remember the last time I had sleep was when _he_ took me away from everything. The only time I can remember _peaceful_ sleep was the night before everything changed. _"A few minutes shouldn't be bad, he`ll be here when I-."_

Already asleep

* * *

"-achel, Rachel! Get up!" Rey`s shouts rang in my ear.

I spring up, off my head "I`m up! I`m up!" She places a hand on my back "We`re here." She told in the calmest voice possible, at this moment.

Just as she finished, I hear the ramp open and a hoard of people climbing in. They carry frightening things. Why do they need knives to help him?! Wait, what if-!?

"Ellis, I need you to take his arms." One of the people say and the other walk towards Finn!

"No!" I say firmly and swatted her arm away when she reached for him. "Rachel, let her." Rey hissed, biting herself not to yell at me again.

"Why?" I snapped. _"Sure, she can take him, by my cold, dead hands."_

"She`s going to help," She moves towards me and pull on my arms and lifts me onto my feet.

The girl and other paramedics (I learn later) lift Finn off the cot and carry him out. "Easy, easy. He's hurt. We've got a heartbeat." One of them called out to the others as they took him away and Rey gripped my hand the whole time as we follow.

A woman with grey hair worn in a tight bun was embracing Chewie outside, mourning over Han. I silently sigh to myself. They break away and Chewie follows the paramedics taking Finn somewhere, safe I hope.

The woman walks towards the both of us and look at our expressions, obviously making an effort to figure out our state of minds.

Rey was taking it the worst out of the both of us. She must have thought as Han as a father. Figures, he did seem to relate to her. I can`t hide the fact that I was jealous for a few split seconds from the short time we knew him; but, she deserved it. She was a mother more than she was a sister to me when we were on Jakuu.

I of course, was taking it tough, but for a different reason. I could maybe have done something. I say maybe, but, I have no idea. The hell am I saying, it`s no one`s fault but the monster that did it. But, if I`d just stayed with Rey… Damnit Rachel, shut up!

The woman continues to stare at us for a few moments; then, with one arm wrapped around Rey`s neck, and the other around my shoulders, she hugs us. I have no idea who this woman was, but I let the tears fall, not because I was miserable about Han dying, or because Rey and I almost died today, or even that we could lose Finn in ten seconds and counting. It was because, for the first time, it felt like what a hug from a mother would feel like.

* * *

Chewbacca sits quietly, as do many in the base, mourning their losses.

As BB-8 approaches R2-D2, the long dormant droid suddenly stirs. The droids beep at each other.

"R2-D2! You've come back!" C-3PO cheered, R2-D2 beeped at his old friend "You found what? "How dare you call me that!" He swats R2-D2, who continues beeping.

"Find Master Luke how? Come, R2! We must go tell the others at once!"

 _RESISTANCE BASE_

Leia stands alone and in silence, heartbroken. 3PO treads up next to her "General? Excuse me, General?" Leia turns to see droids.

"R2-D2 may contain some much needed good news."

"Tell me." Leia simply says.

* * *

" _Isn`t that an R2 unit?"_ I question myself. Soon, Rey pulls on my hand and follows the woman that we were with, all I know is that she`s the general.

Then, I`m standing with Rey, the general, the two droids, handful of Resistance Officers, and-. Wait a minute, is- isn't that-. It was. It was the man from my dream that I had when I was-!

Suddenly the R2 unit projects a hologram above our heads. It looks to be the map we had seen on the Millennium Falcon at the very beginning of all this, but there was a missing piece.

BB-8 beeps and turns to the man I saw in the dream.

"Yeah, all right, buddy, hold on-." The man removes the something from a base computer. He inserts it back inside BB-8, who then projects the map, which he shrinks down to size, and the two droids move slightly together. The two holograms combine, BB-8`s filling in the R2 unit`s perfectly!

Everyone in the entire room gasps. "Oh! The map! It is complete!" The golden droid cheered.

The general places her hand on her heart "Luke. Cerise." The smallest of smiles appear on her face.

There are cheers and embraces as far as the eye can see. What now?

* * *

 _FOUR WEEKS LATER_

It`s been 40, 256 minutes, at least I think, I`m dreadful at math, and Finn isn't waking up. There are signs that he`s recovering, little by little of course, but still getting better.

I remember the first time they let us get to see him; Rey was the first to run in. I decided to let her be alone with him, and fifteen minutes of waiting, I peeked into the room. She was covering her mouth so a sob wouldn't escape as she clenched his hand in her hand, clearly hoping for him to hold hers. I let her stay in there for twenty-five more minutes, until a nurse walked her out.

A few days in, already sick of only running into the woods and "exploring", I volunteered to help a few of the nurses and doctors to help the sick and injured; or, anything really.

It was then I really met the man in my dream. Poe. Poe Dameron. It was just a simple "Hi," and "Hello," of course me being shy and stupid while whispering "Hi," Hey, I couldn't just go up to him and say "Hello, my name`s Rachel, and I saw you in a dream I had when I was tortured."

It was when Malisa, the best mechanic you could ever meet, told me to go and bring a few parts to him. Somehow, it turned into me failing multiple times to help him repair an X-wing, and him lying that I was doing great. Well, partially lied. Rey teased me multiple times that we were like 'two peas in a pod' when I spent some time with him. He`s a bit like a second brother to me, first being Finn. But, there`s something in my heart where… it`s different.

I "confronted" Rey about that she lied to me about how she named me, but it was more an amusing pester than an argument. Of course, both of the stories ended up with Rey`s ego big as the Falcon.

Today was when everyone, including Rey, planned for me to go and seek out Luke. I really have no idea how I honestly feel. I`m excited that I get to meet someone new, but mostly terrified. It`s the first time Rey and I`ve been away from each other, willingly; I`m going to crash the Falcon in less than a minute. What if Finn wakes up when I`m gone? And I`m leaving everyone I trust, well, Chewie and R2 would come along.

After saying goodbye to the people I volunteered for, I made my way to the medical center to see Finn; I asked Rey to come with me. My excuse was because I had to leave right after that, but, I just wanted to see what exactly would happen.

When we were in there, we only stared at him for maybe 10 minutes at the least, expecting him to wake up at the last minute, as usual. It was when I finally reached out and took his hand in mine and squeezed it ever so gently.

"We`ll see each other again," I looked up to Rey "someday." A small smile appeared on her lips and she embraced me. I let go of his hand, pulled away from Rey`s hug, and stood up with my gear intact. "Coming?" I asked.

She looked back at Finn, then to me "Just, one more minute." I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face and nodded, then left the room.

Her eyes wandered over his face, it wasn't sweaty or in pain like it was all those weeks ago, yet, she remembered as if it was yesterday. She almost lost her sister and her… only friend on the same day, that wretched day.

She hesitantly tilted down, inches away from his face, and no action was moved for a few seconds. Then, she leaned in closer and placed a gentle, tender kiss on his cheek.

A smirk slowly pulled onto my lips as I saw their exchange; I knew it. Hey, I said I left the room, not the building. "And what are you smiling at?" I heard her voice ask.

I shook out of my thoughts and stared at her. Her head turned around to face me and her hand rested on Finn`s forehead. Instead of stuttering like I did when I met Poe, and other people, I just shrugged my shoulders "Nothing." She rolled her eyes but kept a grin.

* * *

"Alright, remember what I told you?" Rey asked as we walked towards the Falcon.

"Yeah, the switch on the right is hyperspace, and the midnight blue button, near the emergency light, is the emergency break." "Emergency break?" She had a hint of a smartass in her voice. Oh come on, I could have sworn-, oh wait! "Landing gear," "That`s my girl," She smirks at me.

I heard something heavy being dropped and a stream of familiar cursing following behind. Oh, Poe. I turned around and saw him picking shattered pieces of a hyperdrive off the ground. I felt Rey lean down to my ear "Go to him," she tried to sound dramatic like she was when she read me stories when we were younger. Even at 16, I`m still giggling like the little girl I once was.

I casually walked to him, and bent down to help him pick up the part. He looked up at me when he saw two hands pick up the sharp pieces. "Ah, sweetheart." He smirked at my face when I shot my head up at his new name for me. "I thought you weren't going to say goodbye to me, but lo and behold!" I rolled my eyes and tried not to crack a smile like I did; most of the time.

"No, I just wanted to clean up your mess so you won`t get in trouble, you big baby." "Aww, so you do care about me!" I paused slightly "Maybe a little," He smirked again. Then we stood there. Just, stood there. He soon focused his eyes on something behind me. "That`s a weird place to put a fridge," he muttered. Wait, fridge what-? I turned around to see what he was talking about. Nothing. Why was he-? I felt my French-braid being undone quickly.

"What?!" I yelled as I whipped around and saw Poe`s hands promptly fly back to him. What the hell?! "That took me an hour to do!" I tried to keep my voice down. He gave his most famous smirk again "Good, then you`ll have something useful to do." My mouth held open and I turned around and scoffed, but, I wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Here, let me help you." He took my hanging hair. "No-!" I spun around and shouted, only to have all of my hair covering my mouth, eyes, and my entire face. He laughed as I angrily pushed clumps of hair out of my face, red with pure anger. "You`re face! Let me get a better look at it," He reached a hand to push a few strands out of my eyes. "No," I finally kept calm and swatted his hand away. He snickered like an idiot. "Aw, you look so cute when you get angry, you little baby." My face flushed at this; please, please, please let my anger still show so that he won`t know.

I clenched my hands into fists, than took a light breath. I immediately held my hand out for him to shake it. His eyes stared down at it for a second, then to my face. "What?" He asked with that stupid smile. I nodded down to it "Goodbye," His grin fell just a tiny bit, but pulled it back up and reached his hand forward and shook it. I felt his thumb lightly trace my knuckles. We each let go and dropped our hands. We gave each other one last nod and I turned to walk away.

"Hey," I heard him call from behind me as I marched to Rey. I turned around to him for the final time. "Stay small, my girl." He finished with a smile. I turned a faded shade of pink and pulled my lips to form a little kid`s smile. I turned my back to him and fought each time I wanted to look back at him.

We, finally, made it to the Falcon. If you couldn't see already, this was the time when I wasn't that confident of leaving on my own. I looked up at her with unintentional baby eyes. "Why can`t you come with me?" I asked. She looked back down at me, as if she was taken aback by the question. "Rachel, this is for you, not for me. _You`re_ the one that saved me back there. Besides, do you really want me to be nagging on you for hours and hours on end?"

I cracked a smile at that. "Well, there`s nothing I can`t handle with you, and, it`s just that we`ve never been without each other for long." "Ah, that`s it." "Yeah, what did you think it was?" She paused. "Loneliness?" I shook my head and grinned at her over-worried nature.

She gave me an obvious sad smile, and enveloped me into her arms, gently rubbing my back. I wrapped my arms around her too and relaxed into her touch and closed my eyes as she held me softly. This could be the last hug I could have from her, anyone, for years. I wanted to stay like that for almost forever if I could; but, we both pulled away. And for the first time in years, she leaned down and laid a small kiss on my forehead.

"Rachel," I heard a now familiar voice call. I turned and saw General Leia staring kindly at Rey and me. She nodded towards both of us "May the force be with you," A small smile appeared on both of our faces, mostly mine.

With one last look at each other, and Rey kneeling down to my height to push a few extra strands of hair out my face to get a better look, and mouthing "Are you gonna be okay?" with me nodding back, I turned my back to them and slowly made my way up the ramp to the ship.

I sit in the pilot`s seat, with Chewie right next to me. I look over to him and give a shy grin. Alright, hopefully I won`t crash in 10 seconds or less; let`s make it at least 20! I flick a few switches, and it rises! Yes! I hear and see everyone form the corner of the windows gather around and cheer as I fly.

Chewie and I rise out of the atmosphere and are in space. I remember the switch for hyperspace, and pull it. And, we`re off!

* * *

 _3 DAYS LATER_

I can see it! It`s the ocean! Endless blue, dotted with random, beautiful, mountainous black rock islands, dotted with countless green trees. I search the islands. Alright, I think THAT`S the one. I mentally point to the largest island I see.

When we do land, the three of us pile out. The night before I had to go, Rey put her trusty staff into my hands. Of course, I told her I didn't need to take it, but she absolutely could not take 'no' for my answer. So, I had no choice, but to make it a makeshift weapon, a walking stick, or both.

I tilt my head up and see a fairly tall mountain, can`t say I`m sure if I`m that confident to climb again; I mean, I fell from a tree twice. But, I begin my hike up the considerable mountain, glancing back at Chewie and R2-D2, who watch me from the bottom of the ramp. A deep breath, and I continue my journey.

Built within the rock and foliage of this idyllic island are seemingly endless ancient, stone steps. I continue to climb them, determined. Despite how damn fatigued I am!

I arrive at a clearing. Small, modest, primitive stone structures. But no one around. I walk past them, sees, senses no one. Wait, why do I feels something?

I turn. Standing forty feet away from me with his back towards me, is a man in a cloak and robe. I only stare, knowing exactly who it is. But, I it like I just stare for what seems like forever. Until he finally turns, slowly, to me. He pulls back his hood.

It is Luke Skywalker. Older now, white hair, bearded. He looks straight at me. A strange kindness in his eyes, but there's something tortured, too. He`s silent the whole time.

In response, I drop Rey`s staff to the ground, I search for something from the pack. Luke`s lightsaber.

When I finally found it, I dragged my eyes to look up. My eye catches another figure, just a bit smaller than Luke, struggle a little to climb up the hill to where Luke is. He reaches down and puts a gentle hand on her shoulder as they pull themselves up. I finally get have a look at their face.

It was a woman`s. Her eyes seemed kinder and gentler than Luke`s is, and her brown, slightly grey, hair just about goes past her shoulders and drapes. She carries a small bucket full of fresh water in her left, and in her right, a baby; maybe a few months old, wrapped tightly in a light green blanket. She sets the pail down and wraps her free arm around her baby and stares at me warily. Luke raises his hand and places it on her back to settle her worry down.

I remember the saber in my hand, and hold it out to them. An offer. A plea. The galaxy's only hope.

It looks as if Luke and Cerise, I assume, stare at me for almost several eternities, when their eyes widen at the exact time in either amazement or being conflicted. Why are they looking at me as if they`ve known me my whole life? And why do I feel the same?


End file.
